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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24563245">Praise the bridge that carried you over</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ostigt/pseuds/Ostigt'>Ostigt</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Killing Eve (TV 2018)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/F, Villaneve is canon, praise KE writers</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 03:00:46</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>24,099</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24563245</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ostigt/pseuds/Ostigt</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>How I imagine Villaneves lives looking post season three finale. </p>
<p>Shifting POVs, lots of soft villaneve (and not so soft), my best attempt at humor and lots of mumbled metaphores. Come along for the journey of finding out what these two idiot sandwiches get up to!</p>
<p>P.S. Notes always at the end of the chapter</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Eve Polastri/Villanelle | Oksana Astankova</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>56</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>222</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Jump your bones all around the world</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>How I imagine Villaneves lives looking post season three finale.</p><p>Shifting POVs, lots of soft villaneve (and not so soft), my best attempt at humor and lots of mumbled metaphors. Come along for the journey of finding out what these two idiot sandwiches get up to!</p><p>P.S. Notes always at the end of the chapter</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Eve is staring into the back of her head, making it ten steps down until the realisation that this is the last thing she wanted was too suffocating. It feels like an eternity, everything stands still. She stands still. Villanelle stands still. <em>Please turn please turn please.</em> Then she does. No fear in her body, everything left out for the wind to sweep away, her brown eyes looking back at her now and they both know. Eve wants to do backflips and front flips and side flips and any other flip available to her. But she is frozen in place by V’s smile looking back at her. Her stomach though is doing all the aforementioned turns as Villanelle starts moving towards her.<br/>
<br/>
There are probably people around them, staring and wondering at the scene. Neither of them has been able to take anything in besides the other. Suddenly she is there, and they are sharing the same air again and Eve has to hold her breath or she might burn her lungs.<br/>
<br/>
“You’re crying.” She had not realized but Villanelle is right, still too dazed she does nothing to wipe her face.<br/>
<br/>
How does she speak now when they have already left everything out there? She nods instead. Now her lungs burn from not breathing and she tries a breath finally, it feels nice and normal. Normal might be the wrong word for the situation seeing as she has yet to do anything or move or speak. How long can she get away with just staring up at her? She is scared to reach out and touch her in case Villanelle shatters under her hand, or worse turns around again. She just wants to stand here sharing some breaths and basking in the realisation that she now has it all.<br/>
<br/>
Having it all might also be wrong; she has a lost almost everything. Niko, Kenny, Dom, her sanity. Bill, at Villanelle’s hand. Not that that matters now when that hand reaches out to wipe away her tears.<br/>
<br/>
“You’re being really weird Eve,” she says with a turned smile which just screams out for Eve to give her anything. <em>Everything.</em><br/>
<br/>
One more breath and Eve just bursts, she starts laughing at the top of her lungs, screeching and howling, and she leans back against the railing for support in between slapping her thighs. Her hair flies all over, and she pushes it away with both hands and wipes her face between when she comes up for air. It takes a second before she can calm herself again. Villanelle’s face turns even more crooked as she tries to take in the scene in front of her.<br/>
<br/>
“This is still really weird Eve”<br/>
<br/>
Eve does not possess the vocabulary to explain how much she just needed a release from how she forgot to breathe, or from how her heart almost fell out of her ass or from how much she has wanted this for so long. All this time chasing each other around the world, hurting each other, finding each other, and somehow falling in love with each other. Here they stand, on this bridge finally having decided that there is more to this than just the thrill, or the obsession or the monsters chasing each other’s tails. Perhaps Villanelle is the only person who has ever seen her and not just looked at her, and perhaps Eve is the only person who has done the same for Villanelle. Eve reaches out her hand very slowly and she is staring to feel normal again. <em>Normal - there is that word again. She needs a new word; nothing is normal in her life.</em> At least she takes comfort in Villanelle not shattering as they touch.<br/>
<br/>
With Villanelle in her hand she now feels ready to return to the world again and she looks around, calculating their next move and Villanelle just let’s her lead. She is very good at leading they recently found out. Or perhaps a certain someone just wants her to think that because that someone does not like to admit she wants to be taken care of sometimes. God, Eve just has the strongest urge to wrap her up and take care of her forever, her tall both very awkward and very cocky assassin baby. <em>Does she like being called baby?</em><br/>
<br/>
“Do you like being called baby?” she hears herself ask; <em>she is so stupid.</em><br/>
<br/>
“What?” Villanelle’s head turns so quickly Eve is fairly certain it snaps off.<br/>
<br/>
“I mean, do you want to find somewhere to eat?” she tries to distract with.<br/>
<br/>
“Baby, baby, baby, baby…” Villanelle tries the word in her mouth and Eve wants to sink through the earth. “You know, I’m not sure if I’ve ever been called baby,” she smirks at Eve in that knowing cocky way she does. “I think I like it, I think I like you thinking about calling me baby.”<br/>
<br/>
“You’re very annoying when you do that thing,” Eve fires back pointing around Villanelle’s face with her free hand.<br/>
<br/>
“You like my thing,” Villanelle asserts and turns victorious to focus on the road again. She is right of course.</p>
<p> </p><hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>Five minutes later they sit opposite each other in a late-night burger place not too far from the bridge. Eve ponders putting her hand over Villanelle’s again, she like the warmth of it. And she likes the fact that she can do it now. Well she isn't certain about the level of PDA that is allowed. <em>Could she just reach over right now?</em> She is pulled out of her head circus as their order gets called out as ready and Villanelle rises and brings her hands with her, she sure lost that opportunity.<br/>
<br/>
It isn’t like there are new rules for dating now, she should be able to hold someone’s hand 24/7 if she feels like it and she should not be sitting here losing her mind over it. What is she doing anymore? It has been an overwhelming day, or year. They share their fries as they walk back towards Eve’s apartment and Eve decides she needs to grow up and stop being a baby about all this. <em>Baby.</em> Now that is the second word of the night she can no longer use.<br/>
<br/>
“I’m losing my mind,” she starts. “Because you’re right here, we have barely been in a room together for more than a minute and now you’re right here,” she continues with Villanelle’s eyes burning a hole in the side of her head “I just am losing my mind and I don’t feel like myself while at the same time I really do. You know?” she stops for a breath and runs her hand through her curls “and going from hunting you down all around the world, to wanting to jump your bones all around the world, to now contemplating how often I can hold your hand is a strange turn. We killed Dasha and I don’t feel remorseful. My husband told me to piss off and I don’t feel sad. But you just walking around with that stupid face is what is making me wobble.” <em>Too much, Eve.</em><br/>
<br/>
“How long have you wanted to jump my bones exactly?” of course that’s what she got out of it.<br/>
<br/>
“Please don’t play right now,” she just huffs back.<br/>
<br/>
“I feel wobbly too, we’ll feel more settled in the morning” Villanelle promises.<br/>
<br/>
They toss their chip container in the nearest bin and as they continue their walk back home Villanelle reaches down and catches Eve's hand in hers. For the second time in an hour having her fingers tangled up like this makes her feel centred again. She wonders if it will always be like this, if she can go flying off to any limit of sanity and this will bring her back? She wonders if Villanelle feels the same way. She squeezes her hand a little extra, incase she does. She must remeber to ask her about this too. Eve wants to sprint home and start making lists, of all the things she wants to know about Villanelle, about the twelve, <em>about Kenny.. </em>On cue V squeezes back and it all drains out of her. She just wants to go home and take a 12 hour nap.<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
</p><hr/>
<p><br/>
<br/>
Of course, she was right again. Eve wakes up first in the early hours of the morning and she wants to groan and yell at skateboarders to shut up but that would really show her age. And wake Villanelle up. After a second she decides she doesn’t mind being woken up, even if she did not get her 12h, she settles back down on the bed and brings her hand up to slowly stroke at V’s sleeping face. <em>Of course she is gorgeous when she sleeps.</em> She feels in control again, her mind is not spinning and better yet - she can breathe unrestricted. Eve knows that yesterday was the most honest the two of them had ever been and they both liked it, so brutal honesty from here on out.<br/>
<br/>
“Do you like watching me sleep?” Villanelle suddenly mumbles.<br/>
<br/>
“I’m just wiping your drool away; you’re ruining my pillowcase,” That was not very honest.<br/>
<br/>
“These pillowcases were ruined the second they were made, very scratchy.” She runs her hand over it as to prove a point. “Very bad for your skin.”<br/>
<br/>
“What do you like for breakfast?” she likes that she gets to ask that now, and she is going to make her breakfast. She likes that too.<br/>
<br/>
“Surprise me, but not with non-sugar cereal” Villanelle aswers pointing a finger at Eve.<br/>
<br/>
Scrambled eggs it is, and she feels very domestic pulling spices from all corners of the kitchen to top them off. She waits for Villanelle to get out of the shower and does her grand reveal of her breakfast set up with her Ikea plates and Ikea cups and Ikea chairs and Ikea cutlery, but she is very proud. Not as polished or glamorous as she imagines a breakfast date designed by Villanelle would be, but it does the job. Villanelle can’t help but laugh at her as she does jazz hands around her creation.<br/>
<br/>
“Not a big chef, are you?” she smiles big, wrinkles-around-her-eyes kind of big.<br/>
<br/>
“What gave it away?” Eve smiles back bigger.<br/>
<br/>
“Your eggs smell like cinnamon”<br/>
<br/>
“That’s the surprise part you see.” Eve asserts with a very serious look<br/>
<br/>
“Okay. The Polastri special is it? Christmas spiced eggs?”<br/>
<br/>
She likes this too. Standing in the kitchen bantering with Villanelle, as if they had done nothing else in their entire lives. As if they are not here putting edible glitter on a pile of hot, fresh hell coming their way soon. Atleast they have this moment to breathe. They both sit down for their first home cooked meal in awhile and they both jump up just as quickly to spit their food out. No more Christmas spiced eggs -<em> got it</em>. At least the coffee is good. After a moment of domestic bliss, they return to the big question at hand. How will they keep themselves safe now?<br/>
<br/>
“Two of the twelve’s people are dead by our team in less than 24 hours,” Eve considers “and Konstantin is on the run.”<br/>
<br/>
“Three people,” Villanelle confesses “The party crasher.”<br/>
<br/>
“Three people,” Eve corrects herself “We are for sure not their favourite people right now. We are going to need a plan. And a safe place,” her hand movements get bigger and bigger “and money and perhaps we need a team.”<br/>
<br/>
“Power rangers assemble” Villanelle shouts out with the pose and all and Eve just glares her down. “Damn, so serious. Don’t worry I know safe places. Safe places with money.”<br/>
<br/>
“Their safe places? Their money?” she asks.<br/>
<br/>
“Yes,” Villanelle admits “so no safe places but if we get to one quickly we can get the money without any problem, they don’t know we are a problem yet. So, we can still move around the city.”<br/>
<br/>
Eve nods, “okay then we have to be quick.” <br/>
<br/>
</p><hr/>
<p><br/>
<br/>
They jump in a taxi which takes them out of the city about 30 minutes, they turn left onto a wood-surrounded road and who knew nature was just 30 minutes away waiting for anyone to come see? Eve thinks it is beautiful and perhaps that’s only because it’s quiet because right now quiet is a luxury. A few kilometres further they turn right, and they stop. Villanelle tells the driver to wait for them, they just left some stuff behind at a house party, and the way she says it sounds like nothing else in the world has ever been true, except that. <em>How does she do it? </em><br/>
<br/>
“I wish I was a better liar” she says while stepping through the front door Villanelle hold open for her.<br/>
<br/>
“Why?”<br/>
<br/>
“It could come in handy especially now, to keep us safe,” she confesses.<br/>
<br/>
“I’ll do the talking, don’t worry.”<br/>
<br/>
“What if I’m on doing a solo thing?” she asks as she turns the corner into a small living room at Villanelle’s direction.<br/>
<br/>
“What solo things are you planning?” Villanelle asks as she walk by her towards a dresser, taking her coat off as she strides.<br/>
<br/>
Eve doesn’t know but she would like to do some of the talking too, since she probably won’t do most of the fighting, or cooking. Share the labour so to speak. She watches as Villanelle drags the biggest drawer all the way out the dresser and god bless whoever invented t-shirts because her arms look amazing under the strain. Her breath hitches slightly as Villanelle moves around working as fast as she can.<br/>
<br/>
“What solo things, Eve?” Villanelle’s voice drags her back to reality.<br/>
<br/>
“I don’t know, Villanelle” Eve shrugs back, regaining some air now. “Just have to be ready for any scenario.”<br/>
<br/>
“I think I want you to call me Oksana,” Villanelle stops working and looks up at Eve shyly.<br/>
<br/>
Since when has Villan- Oksana ever looked shy? A bit perhaps when they swayed in the middle of a dance floor, but not this level of shy. <em>Oksana, Oksana,</em> now Eve is the one weighing out words. Oksana sounds both sharp and soft, sort of like it was created solely for her to carry that name, it suits her so perfectly.<br/>
<br/>
“Okay Oksana,” she corrects “I just want to be ready for any scenario.”<br/>
<br/>
Oksana has now gotten the fake bottom off of the drawer and she brings out a box which Eve imagines is filled with enough money to get them away from here, she feels a rush through her body. Oksana hands it over and it’s heavy. So probably enough to both get them away from here and buy them a very nice dinner at a very nice place. Eve imagines they set up their headquarters somewhere like this, quiet and surrounded with nature. She forgot how much she likes nature. And quiet. Oksana puts her coat back on, and they joke about how this huge secret organisation are so shit at hiding their money. It hits them that maybe that's the point so they open it up to confirm they are in fact holding a box of money and not just some nice pebbles someone picked at the beach. Satisfied that they found what they came for they walk out again to their awaiting chariot.<br/>
<br/>
They pitstop at the hotel Oksana has been staying in to get her clothes, because she refuses to part with them. Konstantin she can send off without as much as a goodbye, but god forbid anyone try to remove her from her silk blouses. Eve likes that about her too, she dresses like she is ready to be wined and dined at the royal palace at any moment of the day and outshine the queen herself. Perhaps she can wine and dine her someday soon, not at some burger joint with sweaty fries but somewhere with seating worthy off her nicely dressed ass. She would look amazing in candlelight.<br/>
<br/>
After coming back into the taxi for a third time with Oksana’s stuff they return once more to Eve’s apartment. They rush around tearing up everything around them again, and this would be overwhelming if Eve had any sort of attachment to this place but in all honesty, it has just felt like a depression dungeon. With loud skateboarders. She makes sure to toss the heart shaped voice recording out the window before Oksana can see she held onto it. This brutal honesty she decided before is more of a 50/50 thing she decides instead. She looks around once more and she is for sure never getting her safety deposit back. In the mess stands Oksana ready to take off, they are ready to burn every bridge behind them and leave home to run away together. From one of the most powerful organisations ever created. She puts her duffle over her shoulder and off they go for another life or death mission without a plan or without a worry in the world. <em>Maybe one worry.</em> In a new taxi with a new driver Oksana gets a notification.<br/>
<br/>
“Where is Rhian? Xo. H”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I had a really hard time narrowing down both of their voices, and also trying to reel in my poetic, dramatic and gayass writing to not be too much.</p><p>There is an outline for 8 chapters in total, if people are interested in reading more from my version of these two. Please let me know! (Outline spoilers: Konstantin conversations, Carolyn getting into trouble and Villaneve trying to decorate an apartment.)</p><p>Thank you for reading this far, xo.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Say sucker again</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The post season 3 villaneve journey continues around the world.</p><p>Alternative chapter titles include: “Author bashes Liverpool for no reason”, “Rage against the cords” or “Carolyn Martens appreciation day.”</p><p>Hope you enjoy!<br/>(more notes at the end)</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Their journey takes them north, as far north as the country allows. Well not quite. <em>Liverpool</em>. It sends shivers down her spine; Eve knew they would have to make sacrifices, but this is a bit much even for her. When Oksana pitched the idea of living out their next few days in a B&amp;B just outside Liverpool Eve smiled and nodded and let her book them into a room. Perhaps it was only for the way Oksana pronounces Liverpool, with a rolling “r” and a twisting “o”. This is the last thing she wanted. Well, this is kind of what she wanted. Staring out of the train window she allows herself to be lulled by the movement of the train, she can feel in her body now the weight of her tiredness. She at least looks forward to being outside of a city centre, not being run over by bikes or scooters. For the second time she gets chills down her spines. <em>Scooters. </em>She glances over at Oksana sitting completely still staring out the window on the other side of the isle, she looks so calm and normal. Eve would bet anything on Oksana loving scooters, with her heel kicked up, looking absolutely ridiculous. Just the kind of thing she would love. The thought of it makes Eve’s brain feel like it’s melting and she might be able to get onboard with the idea if Oksana really did enjoy them.</p><p>“Eve, what do you think we should do about Hélène?” Comes Oksana’s question. They both adjust to look at each other again.</p><p>Eve’s brain stops melting and assembles itself enough to answer. “Well, we are going to need a plan. We could just text her back to distract her for a while. Would she bite?” Eve questions, “What position does she hold within the twelve, how powerful is she?”</p><p>“I think she would love biting,” Oksana whispers back, and she takes a second to look around the train cart as if someone would willingly follow them to Liverpool “and she is extremely powerful. She could snap her finger and you would turn to dust.” To demonstrate Oksana snaps her fingers right in front of Eve’s face, close enough that her nail almost goes through Eve’s eye.</p><p>“She’s not a marvel character,” Eve replies dryly while doing her best not to look startled.</p><p>“You don’t know that, you don’t know Danos wasn’t inspired by her powers!” Oksana says with a raise of her eyebrow. Eve takes a deep breath and decides not to chase down whatever direction Oksana wants to take this conversation in. They adjust again so Oksana is not leaning over Eve.</p><p>“It’s Thanos but fair enough,” Eve tries not to smile, and then she gets serious “She sends Rhian after you. You kill Rhian, now Hélène is going to kill us?” Eve knows nothing of Oksana’s boss, <em>former boss? </em>But if she makes Oksana spin out this far, she can’t be the type to be very reasonable, or considerate. She huffs, reasonable and considerate - is Eve even any of those things anymore?</p><p>“Maybe,” Oksana interrupts her self-reflection “but I’m not sure Hélène is the kind of woman to do her own dirty work.” She stops herself to consider, “No I think she <em>would</em> kill me herself, to make sure it actually gets done this time. She is very involved, very hands on.” Oksana looks over at Eve and she just knows by the way she smirks; Oksana is looking for a reaction to that.</p><p>“I love a woman who can take care of business,” Eve smiles back very causally. Not giving an inch. Leaning back, leaving more space between them, so maybe one inch.</p><p>They both decide it’s not worth trying to tie Hélène up by texting her back right now, she probably doesn’t even read her own texts. They place a bet on how many people are payrolled just to read and respond to her messages. Eve’s fascination with the woman grows more and more as they continue talking about her. Her eyelids continue to grow more and more heavy too. Oksana can see and she pats her shoulder for Eve to lay down on. She has never fallen asleep faster. Feeling Oksana under her cheek, being rocked by the train and with the image of Hélène destroying her. She could get into that.<br/><br/><br/></p><hr/><p> </p><p>“Hello and welcome to the Trivelles Seaforth, do you have a reservation?” The bright eyed, very well-rehearsed line greets them as they enter into their home for the next few days.</p><p>Eve looks around, the reception area is small and cramped, with wooden details and stairs leading up right next to the desk. It reminds her of Rome, it reminds her of the halls in which Hugo was left bleeding out, oh and that incredibly ugly costume she had to put on and picking up an axe and just hitting <em>and hitting and…</em></p><p>“Yes, under Mrs. Martens.” Oksana is walking up to the front desk with a big smile, <em>and a northern accent? </em>“Me and my wife are staying here for a few days.” She gestures towards Eve, and she can finally stop contemplating Rome as she walks up to stand next to her. Maybe it’s best Oksana does the talking, as she promised she would. The only accent Eve could perhaps pull off belongs somewhere around Texas, because of course it does, and that would not mesh well Oksana’s accent of the day. Eve just smiles as the young woman locates their booking.</p><p>“Perfect, here you are.” She walks back to retrieve a key for them. She hands it over and wishes them a good stay, and with that they stumble down the hall to find their room.</p><p>“This wallpaper is making me gag, Eve” It’s been less than 30 seconds since they entered the room.</p><p>It isn’t too bad, the small room has a coffee maker and a nice bed and yes, the ugliest wallpaper known to man. It should suffice though, maybe they can just tear it off the wall before they leave so no one else has to suffer the same fate. Eve places herself on the bed and lets her bag fall next to her.</p><p>“I kind of like it,” she teases back and runs her hands across her scalp to gather her hair up.</p><p>Oksana shakes her head in disappointment at Eve’s comment, and Eve can’t help but let out a laugh. Oksana moves around the room collecting all their packing into a corner. When the spot next to Eve is freed up again, rid of the duffle, she settles there instead. The weight off her body makes Eve tip and almost fall into her, but she steadies herself quickly. In one swoop Oksana’s hand moves up and shatters her perfectly gathered bun, she feels annoyed.</p><p>“I just got it to stay up,” she moans.</p><p>“Don’t be a <em>baby</em>,” Oksana just says, with her fingers running over Eve’s scalp now.</p><p>“Are we ever going to move on from the baby thing?” Eve asks. Now trying to steady herself again with Oksana this close to her, shivers down her spine from her hands in her hair. This time she is not able to steady herself so quickly and she just wants to melt into a puddle and have some underpaid hotel maid mop her up. She is finding it very difficult to keep eye contact, but if she looks away or closes her eyes Oksana wins. <em>Oh, what the hell. </em>She lets her win.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>“Do you know I got married?” Oksana asks her.</p><p>They’ve had a decent night’s sleep, and a decent shower with decent water pressure. It’s all very decent. Eve is trying to untangle the cord of her hairdryer; Oksana looks on from a red armchair. She makes even that look like a throne. As Oksana reveals her marital status Eve stops fighting with the cord and looks up at her through the mirror.</p><p>“No?” is the only thing she can think to say.</p><p>“Very nice woman, very rich and very into me,” Oksana describes with a testing look “we had a lovely wedding and reception, until Dasha crashed it… I keep getting my parties crashed mid-dance.” She frowns at the thought of that. “Then I left, and I never went back.”</p><p>“How long have you been married?” Eve asks, but what she really wants to know is why. Why she ended up marrying some nice woman.</p><p>“Uhm, it must have been about three months ago now.”</p><p>Eve returns to fighting with her cord again, to keep herself busy. Nice woman, <em>how nice can a woman even be?</em> Was she in love with this nice woman? Does Oksana like nice women?</p><p>“So you like nice women?” Eve didn’t intend to sound so sharp, but she really can’t help herself in this moment. And can this <em>stupid fucking cord</em> just stop fighting her?</p><p>“I like nice women with fat wallets who lets me seduce them,” Oksana rises from the chair with the pace of her eyebrows and motions for Eve to hand over her dryer. As she gets it in her hand, she shakes it once and the cord unravels. <em>Of course.</em> “I didn’t have many options for survival besides that.” Oksana shrugs as if part of every doomsday preppers toolkit is seducing nice women who will take care of them.</p><p>“Do you love her?” it comes out in a breath and Eve wishes the ceiling above her would crumble over her. She had not intended to let that slip.</p><p>“I only love one woman” Oksana responds, handing Eve her hair dryer back, letting her fingers linger. She turns rapidly and walks back to sit on her chair as if she had not just been the ceiling crashing onto Eve.</p><p>“Carolyn?” Eve tries to joke.</p><p>“Yes, so two women then”</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>Their plan is simple, stay in their decent room for a one more night and then escape from Manchester airport to Copenhagen to lay low for a while. Oksana tells Eve she’ll love Denmark. Lots of greenery, good coffee, and lovely architecture. Sounds like a winning combination if she’s honest. Eve tries to ring Carolyn once while they’re sitting at lunch, finally getting to put something besides fries and hotel room coffee in her mouth. The pasta is delicious, and the sun is out, perhaps she had been a bit hard on Liverpool before. Carolyn does not pick up; Eve imagines she probably needs a few days to not think about anything involving her for a couple of days. Which is fair enough.</p><p>Oksana is dressed in a light blue shirt and a grey patterned coat, with her cat eye sunglasses. She looks like the kind of woman who has a set brunch order, gets all her clothing tailored and drinks no wine cheaper than 70 dollars per bottle. Eve likes that. She is wearing a glossy lip and it keeps catching Eve’s eye, she puts it around her fork without messing it up and Eve thinks she could probably see her own reflection in it if she got close enough. It makes her throat dry.</p><p>“What sort of apartment do you want?” Oksana asks</p><p><em>Stop staring at her lips Eve.</em> “Good natural light, and quiet.”</p><p>“That’s all you want?” Oksana questions.</p><p>“That’s all I want,” <em>and to wake up next to you and do my makeup in the reflection of your lip gloss and eat breakfast in silence as we both read the newspaper. Bookshelves lined with dusty books we only buy for the credit of owning that book. </em>“Maybe a bathtub would be nice too.”</p><p>“We get to go apartment hunting, Eve!” Oksana looks giddy and her sunglasses fall down her nose to reveal her eyes sparkling at the thought. <em>They get to go apartment hunting.</em> It makes Eve forget about nice women.<br/><br/><br/></p><hr/><p> </p><p>The flight over to Copenhagen goes off without a hitch. Eve sort of expected someone to pull them aside and tell them they were on a no-fly list. Or that there was an outstanding warrant for their arrest. Nothing happens though and the biggest issue at the airport had been choosing out what snacks they wanted for the plane. If Oksana had gotten to choose, they would have just stuffed their bags full of coke and liquorice straws until they were too heavy to carry. They spent most of the short flight taking a powernap and even with Eve restricting their purchase they still have more candy than any one person needs in a year.<br/><br/>They hail a cab at the Copenhagen airport which takes them into the centre. The sun shines brighter in Copenhagen Eve notes, and it smells like warm pavement and warm pretzels. She loves Denmark. She even loves the busyness of the streets, not even once being close to getting hit by a bike as they walk into the reception of another hotel. They settle in again, washing the travel off before their plan to go look for anything resembling food. Eve doesn’t even try to fight her cords; she just hands the hair dryer over to Oksana immediately.</p><p>“Eve, I’m taking you on a date” Oksana proclaims a moment later from the inside one of her suitcases.<br/><br/>“A date?”<br/><br/>“A date is when two people who are interested in each other spend time togeth-“<br/><br/>“I know what a date is!” Eve yells peaking around the corner of the bathroom door to stare Oksana down.<br/><br/>“You could’ve fooled me,” Oksana challenges her gaze “so yes? Me and you? Date? Right now?” eyebrow wiggle.<br/><br/>The excitement of Oksana asking her for a date roots in Eve’s stomach. “Aren’t we a bit past going on a first date?”<br/><br/>“No Eve, it’ll be fun. I’ll walk you home after… and kiss you goodnight.” Oksana smiles up at her with that annoyingly beautiful smile she does when she <em>knows.<br/><br/></em>“How very chivalrous of you” Eve gives her a controlled smile; the excitement now grows through her body and pushes on her ribs. Eve bites it back.</p><p>
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</p><p>The excitement quickly turns into defeat. “PAINTBALL?” Eve raises her arms above her head.<br/><br/>“I know, isn’t this going to be so fun?” Oksana looks giddy.<br/><br/><em>God she is so annoying. </em>Eve suddenly thinks it’s a great idea, she can’t wait to hunt Oksana down and defeat her. She is all in on paintball she decides.<br/><br/>They check in and get assigned into yellow and pink team respectively, and Eve holds her weapon in form and paces around her team. With the mission laid out very simply, hunt the pink team down and obliterate them. Snotty twelve-year olds look around at each other unsure of how they got here. They still put their hands in to do the yellow team pre-game huddle. Smart enough not to question Eve in this moment. Eve likes a mission, laid out like this. A goal to strive for and here is the perfect one, even better that she might get to wipe out Oksana’s smug smile with a hail of colourful bullets as her twelve-year olds take out Oksana’s twelve-year olds.<br/><br/>The maze is not big and Eve is very stealthy as she moves through it, most of her team is already down as they do not have the same appreciation for waiting for the opponent to make a move, a mistake and then take them down. Perhaps she got the worst out of the batch though. She is peaking around a corner as she suddenly she feels a weight over her back, and by the strong scent she knows immediately who has her cornered. Maybe she’s the worst of the batch.</p><p>“Tsk, tsk,” Oksana teases “Your team does not appreciate the importance of team-work.”</p><p>Eve tries to wiggle out, she is stuck in a very uncomfortable crouch with her gun jammed against her shoulder and chest, and this stupid maze wall.</p><p>“Do you want to go rouge?” Oksana asks, not giving her any space still.</p><p>“Define rouge,” Eve asks, pushing back against her once more.</p><p>Oksana pulls her weight off, and Eve misses being crushed by her. “You and me, taking down every sucker in this place.”</p><p>“Say sucker again.”</p><p>“Eve be serious,” now face to face she can she Oksana’ s flushed cheeks “join my team?”</p><p>Of course Eve wants to be on any team Oksana is on. Especially when she gets to see her trot around with such confidence, holding a toy gun. They start working through methodically and the relief in every still-standing yellow team member when they see Eve is short lived. <em>This is fun. </em>They are the last two standing, leaving pink and yellow at a tie. Eve hates to admit it, but this was a great first date. She feels exhilarated as they start making their way back to the hotel, stuffing the yellow scarf deep into her pocket. A little keepsake for a rainy day.</p><p>“Did you have fun?” asks Oksana</p><p>“A lot of fun actually,” Eve nods.</p><p>In the sky twinkles stars, she can actually see the stars in this town. She wonders if they could stay forever, or at least long enough for Eve to stop appreciating stars. She wonders how long you have to stick around for something to feel like an everyday, boring occurrence. Probably for way longer than the two of them will. She reaches out and grabs Oksana’s hand. She stops pondering stars.</p><p>They walk through the lobby and thank god for lifts. Eve feels tired from all the running around of the they’ve been doing lately. It’s been another long day. The elevator ding brings them out on to their floor. They walk towards their door and Oksana stops and leans on the frame.</p><p>“This was a great date Eve” she says</p><p>“It really was, one of the best I’ve ever been on.” Eve steps up leaning on the other side of the frame.</p><p>Oksana tries to look wounded “One of?” she plays up the hurt by adding a gape and a hand over her chest. “Here I go planning the perfect day – one of?”</p><p>A beat goes by before Oksana reaches out and pulls a strand of Eve’s hair and tucks it behind her ear. All the dramatics of a second ago blown away. Eve is blown away by how someone dare look this good in hotel hallway lighting.</p><p>“I’m going to kiss you goodnight now”</p><p>Eve nods. Another genius idea from Oksana. Eve steps forward, she decides in this moment she is brave. She grabs the lapel of Oksana’s jacket, to draw her in halfway. This time there is no question in who’s leading, and Oksana is letting Eve pull her around. She smells like wood, and fire logs and Eve’s whole body is warm. Perhaps they’ll burn the whole city to the ground, but the casualties are worth it to feel how softly Oksana presses her lips against Eve’s. And how she moves them, and how she moves. Putting her hands around Eve’s back to steady them both into it. Is this what it feels like to kiss someone?</p><p>They both breathe rapidly with their foreheads together. “Goodnight Eve.”</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>The bliss lasts for about as long as Eve is asleep for. This time it’s her waking up to Oksana’s hand on her cheek, crouching down by the bed. She looks soft, like she has been painted in pastels. Eve blinks at her a couple of time to signal that she is in fact awake and available. The room smells of coffee and Eve realises this time it’s Oksana who is providing their breakfast date. It looks incredible, with still steaming pastries, both sweet and savoury and coffee that smells like coffee. Eve feels more awake just by the look of it.</p><p>“I woke up so early. I decided to go get us breakfast,” She presents with her hands.</p><p>“It smells incredible,” Eve whispers, still not having regained her voice fully.</p><p>“Your breath does not,” Oksana whispers back, and she gives Eve a wink. Oksana rises and Eve follows her with her eyes, she wonders if now is the moment her telekinetic powers will appear and let her slap Oksana without moving a limb. Still she drags herself up and sits down on the floor opposite Oksana without committing an act of violence. <em>Another win for Eve.</em></p><p>“Hélène is very mad,” Oksana says when Eve is caffeinated enough to feel human. Oksana's brows are furrowed and she is presenting the words as if she's been thinking about them for awhile.</p><p>“Huh?” Eve is confused, she thought they already went over this conversation yesterday on the journey over. Eve is confused about Hélène's message still weighing on Oksana this much. "About Rhian?"</p><p>Oksana is pulling her pastry to shreds, the flakes gathering in her lap and Eve is sure the pieces will stain her pants. "Well, yes. But not just, she's more mad now. About Dasha too I think."</p><p><em>Oooooh.</em> "Oh, she reached out to you again?" Now this makes more sense.</p><p>“Yes. She is not happy. She called me doll.” Oksana's brows furrow again. Eve adds doll to the mental list of banned words.</p><p>“I want to read what she said,” Eve decides. Oksana hands Eve the phone without any arguments.</p><p>“07.21: My dearest Villanelle, hi! I have been hoping to hear from you, I am planning a girl’s night, but it seems all the women in my life have suddenly gone MIA. Do you happen to know anything about this? Please don’t be shy to reach out Doll. Xo H.” <em>Woah.</em></p><p>Eve scrolls and sees Oksana responded, “08.00: Hélène, I’m sorry to hear your Galentines has been cancelled. Not available for catch up right now, thank you for thinking of me. Always yours.”</p><p>As Eve is reading Oksana’s message the phone pings as on cue and a new message from Hélène appears. “8:20 I’m always thinking of you my Villanelle. Hope you can take a moment for me soon. Maybe it’s time to expand our horizons, I have heard Carolyn Martens is quite the woman in the know. Perhaps she could join us some day. Do let me know if this throuple interests you. Lovingly, H.”</p><p><em>Shit.</em> Eve drops the phone like a hot plate. <em>Shit.</em> Oksana catches it to see what the fuss is about. Eve gets up and spins around a few times before her eyes land on her phone. She lunges at it and finds Carolyn’s name again and she lets it ring before being greeted by her voicemail message, rinse and repeat and she calls again. And again. Oksana stands up, and pries the phone from Eve’s fingers and she’s right, <em>of course, </em>if Carolyn could have or wanted to she would have already answered. Eve tries to slow her breathing and she grabs at her scalp trying to open up her lungs. <em>Wow Hélène might be Thanos, this is some powerful shit.</em></p><p>“Carolyn is in so much trouble,” Eve coughs out, she forces the room to stop spinning to consider what this means.</p><p>“I know,” Oksana offers.</p><p>“Should we? I mean, do we have to? Should we?” Eve wonders aloud.</p><p>“Yes.”</p><p>“Do you think it’s a trap?”</p><p>“Most definitely,” with Oksana’s words they both decide it’s time to pack up and head back from this alternate universe of wonderous bakes goods, peace and late night strolls into the reality that is the dragon’s den of pissing your own pants if Hélène asks you to. <em>They never got to go apartment hunt. </em>Eve stuffs her yellow scarf into her already over-stuffed dufflebag.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>On the flight Eve feels a bit heavy, Oksana looks a bit heavy too. Perhaps carrying around an entire life in suitcases weighs on you.</p><p>“You were right, I loved Denmark,” Eve says to lift the mood a bit.</p><p>“I think Denmark was made for us,” Oksana looks a bit lighter as she says it.</p><p>“Maybe we could retire there, on the countryside and let ourselves go and live off only baked goods,” Eve suggests.</p><p>“I would love that.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>1. I have never been to Liverpool nor can I recall a single fact that makes me hate Liverpool. I am very sorry to have treated the city in this way, especially if you reading are infact from there.</p><p>2. No one warned me writing a kiss was so difficult. Who would've known?</p><p>3. The next chapter (hopefully up within a week, will not be as fast as this one) will be from Villanelles POV since we have spent so much time with Eve's racing mind now.</p><p>4. I do not know what a dragon's den of pissing your own pants means but I still thought it, wrote it and kept it in so you figure it out.</p><p>Finally and mostly, Thank you so much for reading and for being so supportive of the first chapter. I really appreciate all the feedback!</p><p>(Also what is up with these double end notes?)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Are you trying to get me drunk?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The pair now returning from their short galavant to scandinavia they desperatly need a plan, and a home. This time their journey continues in Oksana's POV.</p><p>Alternative chapters titles include: “You like my ass”, “Who says I have a boss?” or “Adult supervision”.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Sometimes Eve is hard to read, well most people are. Oksana has gotten decent at reading people she thinks, if not only for all of the movies she has watched. But Eve spends a lot of time inside her own head and she is scared one day Eve will emerge and no longer want this. This running around life, this push and pull or <em>me</em>. It’s not like Oksana hasn’t fucked plenty of people or laid in a bed and stroked their cheek or gone on dates. She has not found anyone though who is interesting for long enough to want to do any of that a second time. But Eve is, and sometimes when Eve laughs it makes her heart beat in her throat. <em>Is that love?</em></p><p>Sometimes Oksana grieves the life she could have if she was not her mother’s daughter. She decides she could answer these questions then. All she knows is she feels alive when Eve touches her and she so, so, desperately wants for Eve to love her. That is enough.</p><p>London looks grey and it makes for the perfect backdrop for their return, she wishes they could’ve stayed up there for forever. She has found a small Airbnb apartment as their next temporary stay, and Oksana is determined for this to be their last temporary home. She has been searching and she found the perfect place for them to settle in, a place which ticks all of Eve’s boxes. All three of them.</p><p>“I’ve found us a place,” Oksana exclaims the second they get into their apartment.</p><p>“What? When did you have time for that?” Eve turns around with wonder.</p><p>“On the flight, you were very busy with your little series,” Oksana shrugs. “Anyways, it has lots of windows and it’s a great location,” she whips the phone around for Eve to see the ad.</p><p>“Woah,” is all Eve says. It’s moments like these that are difficult, not knowing if Eve will love it or not. “A HOUSEBOAT?” <em>so not.</em></p><p>“Yes, Eve. Look, it has light, quiet and you can use the thames as your bathtub,” Oksana thinks it’s perfect. She walks around Eve’s shoulder to point at the pictures of all the things she likes. “We’d just have to decorate it a bit, but isn’t it beautiful?”</p><p>“When we talked about apartment hunting I pictured an apartment you know,” Eve turns around to look at her, “one on land.”</p><p>“Eve it’s perfect for us, can we at least go look for it?” Oksana pleads.</p><p>“Fine, but us looking at it does not mean yes. Okay?”</p><p>“Okay,” <em>I can’t wait to live in our houseboat</em></p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>“Why did you turn around?”<br/><br/>The rain slaps against the window of their small Airbnb home, and Oksana can’t stop thinking. About Hélène, Carolyn, Konstantin but mostly of Eve. Eve is standing in the kitchen part of their living space looking like a dream.</p><p>“Why did you?” Eve deflects.</p><p>“No, I asked first.”</p><p>There is a beat of only rainfall and Eve taking another sip of her wine. Oh to be a glass of wine consumed by Eve.</p><p>“Because there was nothing else I could do,” Eve answers “and honestly, I did try walking, but I couldn’t because I missed you.”</p><p>“You missed me?” Oksana wonders aloud.</p><p>“Well I didn’t <em>miss</em> you in that very moment, but I thought of never getting to look back at you. And I missed you.” Eve looks down at her glass and swirls the remaining sip. “It was scary. Scarier than staying.”</p><p>“You turned because you were scared?”</p><p>“No, <em>well yes</em>. But no. I turned because I wanted to like I have wanted nothing else in my life.” Eve downs the sip and put her glass down. “Apart from finding you.” She stares directly up at Oksana as she says it and it hits her harder than rain on any window.</p><p>“I was always going to turn around,” Oksana confesses, because she was. She <em>knew</em>, she just wanted to make sure Eve knew too.</p><p>The confession makes Eve pull in a breath, emptying the room of all oxygen. Oksana doesn’t need oxygen if she can stay sitting like this, watching Eve in their apartment. Oh, Eve. Sometimes Oksana empties the room of oxygen too when she sees her, with her dark eyes and perfect lips and that hair that flies all over. Eve leans back against the counter and her eyes look at Oksana as if examining her, and oh those eyes.  Those eyes could pierce her and pin her against the wall, those eyes.. <em>Is she crying?</em><br/><br/>“Are you crying, Eve?” She asks</p><p>“No.”</p><p>“Come here,” she motions.</p><p>Eve considers it for a second before moving towards her, Eve settles on the sofa drawing her knees up and thudding down against Oksana’s shoulder. This will never feel normal, but Oksana still loves Eve being her tiny spoon. Every time she is around Eve something within her shifts and bubbles, and it’s been a long time since Oksana felt herself bubble. <em>How do I keep her safe? </em>She lets her arm fall around Eve’s shoulders. Again, she could stay like this forever she decides.<br/><br/></p><hr/><p> </p><p>It’s Tuesday morning, or maybe Wednesday? Who keeps track of these things when you are running around the world away from danger? Oksana always wakes up before Eve, in this short time since the bridge they have settled into a routine, something resembling normalcy. Oksana makes coffee in whatever machine is available to her, today it’s a French press. If there is one thing sure to get Eve up it’s the smell of coffee. Oksana usually holds off on it for a second though, so she can have a moment. In these moments she listens to Eve snore -<br/><br/>“I don’t snore, you snore!” Eve had exclaimed the first morning Oksana had pointed out. She does though, but Oksana doesn’t mind.<br/> <br/>- and she has time to think. Oksana knows she is the one who knows the danger ahead better, even if she knows nothing. She has taken it on herself to be the planner, and it’s not like Eve can’t take care of business, <em>hell</em> twice now she has disarmed her completely. One of the most prolific assassins in the world and Eve just sways into a room and takes her down in 0.5 seconds. There are things ahead that cannot be taken down with incredible hair and occasional stabbings, Oksana knows this. Even though it’s hard to believe. <em>Who wouldn’t be distracted by those curls?</em></p><p>Oksana is pulled out of her high-speed train of thoughts by the buzzing of her phone. “Hello?” she answers, going into the bathroom as not to wake her snoring stabber.</p><p>“How was your trip to Denmark?” comes the smooth voice down her phone.</p><p>“Hello Hélène, sorry I left without saying goodbye,” Oksana keeps her voice light.</p><p>“You never came to see me,” Hélène keeps neutral, “The least you could’ve done is send a postcard. I collect postcards.” <em>Of course she does.</em><br/><br/>“Oh I’m so sorry-” Oksana draws out her sorry “-how are you Hélène?”</p><p>“Better now you’re back.”</p><p>“Glad to be of service,” Oksana likes a game as much as the next person, so she plays along matching Hélène’s tone.</p><p>“I would like to see you, tonight, alone,” Hélène demands “they are very impressed by you and want to make you a new offer.”</p><p>“They? So you aren’t impressed with me Hélène?” Oksana does her best to sound wounded.</p><p>“I’ll text you the address.”</p><p>It takes four seconds for an address to appear in her inbox, only ten minutes away from their apartment her maps app tells her. Oksana knows she can’t go back to her old life, not now when everything is different, <em>not now when Eve is asleep in their bed.</em> But she also knows they’ll need money, and she’s very good at her job. It’s unsafe, and not what she wants anymore. Oksana also knows she probably won’t have much say in the matter, it’s either she goes back, or they make her go back.</p><p>“Oksana?” Eve’s voice calls out for her.</p><p>Oksana turns on the sink, to signal her position. To regain some strength before she goes out to face her.</p><p>“Goodmorning sleepy head,” she smiles as she enters the living space again. “I’ll make you coffee”</p><p>“Oh you’re spoiling me rotten,” Eve says as she sits up on the bed.</p><p>“Either I make breakfast, or we don’t eat at all, you don’t know how to make edible thin- “she has to duck away from the pillow flying at her.</p><p>“Ass,” Eve calls after her. This is clear communication she understands.</p><p>“You like my ass,” Oksana says over her shoulder.</p><p>Oksana doesn’t wait for Eve’s reaction; she struts into the kitchen to start their breakfast. <em>Who wouldn't love this ass?</em></p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>“If anyone wonders, THIS is what happens when an unstoppable force and an immovable object collide,” Eve shoves her hands up in the air in defeat.</p><p>Oksana is trotting around the very beautiful boat, explaining how they could make it their own. Some throw pillows, a silk throw for their bed and some plants. The boat is big, bright, and very modern. Oksana knows Eve loves it, but Eve is not one to give Oksana the satisfaction of telling her she was right, not without a fight. The agent looks on at them bickering, smiling politely.</p><p>“Imagine Eve, me and you waking up to the ocean every day,” Oksana points out the window, “and there is space enough for the two of us.”</p><p>“Yes, there is space but a <em>houseboat?</em>” Eve leans in to whisper the last word.</p><p>“Yes, a houseboat,” Oksana simply smiles back, "imagine waking up to coffee ready for you on deck, fresh baked goods and the smell of the water." She is excited, she gets excited picturing Eve stumble out of their small bedroom onto deck in only a big t-shirt and messy hair.</p><p>Eve sits down on the big L-shaped sofa and stares out the window in the back, looking out over a sundeck. Oksana can see her physically settling in on the idea of this being a good choice. Eve does the two-hand tuck of her famous hair, and that is all the confirmation Oksana needs. She is getting what she wants.</p><p>“So, the previous owners are ready to sell today if you are interested,” the agent breaks the silence, “they are moving abroad and will give a discount the quicker it sells," she is smiling just as politely and Oksana can't imagine having her job. She is pretty sure she would've thrown the both of them overboard by now, <em>we are very annoying.</em></p><p>Oksana looks at Eve waiting for her to make the decision, “Yes we are interested,” comes Eve’s voice. Oksana wants to jump through the ceiling and land somewhere in the river, <em>victory.</em></p><p>The agent leaves the room to call the current owners, bless her and her boring job which brought them this home. Oksana sits down next to Eve on the sofa, staring out the back window. She can feel Eve’s eyes burning through the side of her head. She turns and smiles, this is their home. They have a home. Eve smiles too, and it’s the type of smile that wraps around Oksana and squeezes her lungs. Oksana leans over and lands on Eve’s lips. Eve brings her hand up into Oksana’s hair, and they both breathe out into it.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>In the evening while Eve is out for a walk, Oksana dawns her most well fitted suit. She showers in her perfume and pulls her hair back into a tight low bun. She wants to look like power. In all honesty she is a bit nervous about meeting Hélène, and doing this ritual always makes her feel better. More confident. She had done it before she went to see Eve on the bus too, and it helped. It’s just passed 7 when Oksana has gathered herself enough to walk over to the address Hélène directed her to.</p><p>It’s an old stone house with wooden detailing and she hesitates before walking up to the door, and it slams open only millimetres away from her face when she approaches, Hélène stands in an equally powerful suit motioning for her to come in. Oksana is pretty sure she just peed a little but tries not to give away her surprise. She simply walks down the hall turning and looking at all the art pieces and decorations scattered around.</p><p>“Is this your home?” she asks turning fully to look at Hélène.</p><p>“No of course not, I’m not a fan of clutter,” Hélène walks past her into the living room.</p><p>Oksana settles on the sofa opposite Hélène, in between them is a coffee table with some very classic coffee table books and two champagne glasses.</p><p>“Are you trying to get me drunk?” She asks, motioning to the glasses.</p><p>“Perhaps. We are also celebrating,” Hélène leans forward filling up both glasses before taking hers and raising it towards Oksana, Oksana matches the motion. “To your promotion.” She let's their glasses clink and Oksana tries to let the words sink in.</p><p>“They want me to be a keeper?” this is what she had wanted not very long ago but now it makes her feel nauseous, them wanting her.</p><p>“Yes,” is all she gets back.</p><p>She has yet to take a sip of her drink but the floor under her feet feels unsteady it’s making her motion sick. “Why?” she wonders.</p><p>“As I said on the phone, they are very impressed with you,” Hélène says matter-of-factly, “this would make us colleagues, you’d get to see a lot more of me. And you’d have a lot more control of your work.”</p><p>“Mh,” Oksana draws in air and leans back, “what if I’m no longer interested?”</p><p>“That would be such waste of natural talent,” Hélène says leaning over and suddenly Oksana feels like she needs four or five coffee tables in between them. “Is Eve the one making you hesitate?” It’s not a chock of course, Eve being known to the organization. She can’t help but feel some fear growing in her as Hélène speaks her name though.</p><p>“Do you really think someone like her could ever truly love you, beyond a morbid fascination?” Hélène continues, “she’s holding you back Villanelle, you’re meant to run free and do as you please.”</p><p>“Someone like her?” Oksana did not mean to let Hélène’s words seep into her.</p><p>“Someone who likes planning, and posters from Ikea and who was very content living a safe life. Do you really think she wouldn’t want to run back to a safe life eventually?” Hélène stands and walks around to settle on Oksana’s sofa. She really wants to move back and draw her knees up to place between them. She can’t move though. “You’re no woman for her, and she is no woman for you,” Hélène brings her hand up and smooths down some stubborn baby hairs. <em>Damn it.</em></p><p>Oksana lets Hélène pet her for a couple of seconds before shaking her off. “You don’t know her,” she responds, “she’s very supportive, a true <em>gentleman</em>.”</p><p>On perfect cue the front door flies open and as Hélène reacts by flying up too Oksana moves and locks her arms behind her back. <em>They got her. </em>“Hi Eve,” Oksana smiles, holding their catch of the day. Hélène tries to pull her arms back, but Oksana is stronger from all her years in the field.</p><p>“What exactly do you two think you are doing?” Hélène tries to sound neutral, but Oksana can feel her anger at the surface. It makes her excited to watch Hélène like this, ready to have the first reaction Oksana has ever seen from her.</p><p>“This not the throuple you were after?” Eve motions between all of them. It makes Oksana laugh.</p><p>“It’s a new day Hélène, you had your chance to have me, but I have to decline your offer,” Oksana is smug, leaning to punctuate every word.</p><p>Eve moves to stand by her side and puts handcuffs on Hélène, she had no idea Eve owned cuffs and when she found out she grieved them getting wasted around Hélène’s wrists, she could think of plenty of better uses. When Hélène is no longer a flight risk Oksana reaches into her pocket and ends the call to Eve.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>Hélène doesn’t even struggle as they walk her back to their apartment, throwing a big coat around her as not to draw attention. Not that people would do anything either way. Safety first if that’s what Eve wants. <em>Safe life.</em> The words still ring in Oksana’s ears, she doesn’t know what it is, but Hélène always gets under her skin, knowing just what to say to make it linger in her. Oksana glances over at Eve who’s very focused on the road ahead, and on their captive.</p><p>When they bring Hélène in through their door it’s only been an hour since Oksana left home, <em>quick turns tonight. </em>The plan had been Eve’s, and it’s not the most thought trough thing either of them have taken on.</p><p>“She has all the information we need, Oksana,” Eve had exclaimed.</p><p>“So you want to torture her for information?” Oksana asked.</p><p>“Information is power and right now we hold no power,” Eve had shrugged her off.</p><p>“So you want to torture her for information.”</p><p>“No, we make her tell them you said yes and then we arrange a meeting with the real boss,” Eve had laid out, still planning as she spoke.</p><p>“And then what, we tickle them until they call mercy?” Oksana asked.</p><p>“We cut the head of the dragon,” <em>right, murder of course.</em></p><p>Standing in their living room with Hélène glaring at them this now feels like more of a shitty plan than before. Too late now though, Oksana hadn’t come up with a better counter plan before the meeting was set to take place. She looks over at Eve who pulls Hélène’s phone out of her own back pocket. She demands Hélène tell her who her boss is.</p><p>“Who says I have a boss?” Hélène shrugs.</p><p>“I do. Now tell me,” Eve looks very intimidating as she stands over Hélène now. Her eyes almost completely black.</p><p>“I’m tired. Sleep deprivation constitutes torture,” Hélène says flatly.</p><p>“Do you know what else constitutes torture? Making someone watch their best friend die in front of them, someone watching their husband be stabbed in front of them.”</p><p>“Right. I have done no such thing though,” Hélène does not flinch, she simply looks over at Oksana, “She killed your best friend, if I’m not mistaken.”</p><p>That makes Eve snap and she pulls Hélène up to her feet and shoves her in front of her. Oksana stands up just as abruptly, Eve is losing control and she needs to be ready to step in. No further argument though, Eve simply shoves Hélène onto their bed with her hands still cuffed, tucking her in. Perfect, <em>now where am I going to sleep?</em></p><p><br/>They settle on the sofa instead. Eve feels cold, she feels far away even as she is laying on top of Oksana’s chest. This should feel different, being stuck under Eve is something Oksana has imagined plenty of times but in none of those dreams did it feel like this. She still lets her hand run along Eve’s back as not to give away any of her contemplation, moments like these are when Oksana can not read Eve. It makes her wobble.</p><p>Eve’s phone dings bringing them out of their respective plummets into madness. “Why have you called me 14 times in two days? If you’re dead I’m going to be very disappointed.” <em>Ah Carolyn, </em>she always had incredible timing and now more than ever they need adult supervision.</p><p>“Meet us tomorrow morning, for breakfast. No eggs,” Eve responds with and sends Carolyn their address. Carolyn to the rescue? Oksana lets herself believe that’s true, if only because she needs her eight hours.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>1. Okay, the houseboat idea came out of me looking at listings of homes for sale in London and well, I found lots of houseboats so here we are!</p><p>2. For anyone wondering how someone like Hélène could’ve been fooled by these two idiots, I imagine Hélène feels like she is untouchable in a way and she really thought she knew what Oksana was going to do. But surprise biiiih, love conquers all etcetc.</p><p>3. How will the seeds of doubts Hélène planted affect these two ahead? (I’m a sucker for angst, sue me.)</p><p>Again finally and mostly, the way you guys have responded to this and left more kudos and comments than I could’ve imagined is very appreciated. Thank you for reading, and for the feedback. Next chapter hopefully up before the weekend is over!</p>
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<a name="section0004"><h2>4. We're not good at keeping things light</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Oksana’s POV. Breakfast date with Carolyn, getting the keys to their home and having some long over-due heart to hearts. Less angsty, more smutty than previous chapters. Follow along!</p><p>Alternative chapter titles include: “Spread me to death”, “No clothes, ever” or “Girls supporting girls”.</p><p>Disclaimer: if you don’t want to read smut skip the third section (the one that starts with colour scheme talk) you won’t miss much of the story even if you do, promise.</p>
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    <p>She wakes up first again, of course. Before Eve, and before Hélène. Hélène doesn’t look so threatening now, rolled in a blanket with a pool of drool by her cheek. She looks almost, <em>cute? </em>Oksana finds it incredible how there can be such duality to a person, how someone like Eve can grow the sharpest thorns of angers and how someone like Hélène can be so, <em>human? </em>She let’s herself stand and examine them both for a moment before she turns to start making food. They have a guest coming after all, and Oksana wants to be a great host for Carolyn. Especially now that they are here to beg her to bail them out.</p><p>She settles on fruit cups and waffles as the breakfast menu of the day, she is chopping up strawberries Eve had brought home when she hears something move behind her. She whips around, strawberry still stuck to her knife.</p><p>“I need a shower,” Eve says sleepily, sniffing herself as she sits up on the sofa.</p><p>“Goodmorning,” Oksana goes soft, lowering her knife dripping of strawberry juice.</p><p>“Goodmorning,” Eve does not match her softness, it hurts.</p><p>Oksana tries to shrug it off as she turns to continue her fruit chopping. But she wonders if Eve is still reeling from the Bill comment, does she still grieve her friend every time she sees Oksana’s face? Or perhaps it was the image, of her with a knife dripping red again. This time from strawberries but not too long ago with Bill’s bl-</p><p>“What are you making? It smells good,” she hadn’t noticed Eve approaching her from behind.</p><p>She restrains herself from whipping around, still knife in hand, “Oh, waffles and fruit. Do you like waffles?” She smiles over her shoulder.</p><p>“Yes, who doesn’t?”</p><p>“I’m not a fan of sugar in the mornings,” comes a third voice from behind them.</p><p>“Look who decided to join,” Eve says as she turns with her arms open towards Hélène. Hélène is stuck in her blanket, trying her best to untangle herself from it. It’s probably very difficult without hands. Neither of them rushes to help her though, letting her flop like a fish out of water.</p><p>After a moment, with Hélène freshened up by Eve and Eve’s hair airdrying from the shower the breakfast is laid out. They place Hélène at one end of the table as they wait for Carolyn to show up. It’s all a bit comical, Eve dripping from the shower looking like a soaked angel and one of the most powerful women in the world, cuffed to their table. The door buzzes before Oksana has time to let Eve in on the joke.</p><p>“If I had any sense I would just turn away now,” Carolyn follows Eve into their living space, and looks less than amused at the sight of their hostage.</p><p>“Please don’t,” Eve sounds a bit desperate.</p><p>“Mimosa?” Oksana offers, looking around the room and three heads nod back at her. Eve, nervously. Carolyn, exhaustedly. Hélène, nonchalantly. “Sit down Carolyn,” Oksana motions towards the other end of their table. <em>I am a great host.</em></p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>They take a moment to introduce Carolyn to the situation they’ve put themselves in. Carolyn of course recognises Hélène’s name when they tell her, having heard it a couple of times before. They tell her how the twelve want Oksana again, and how there is no way that can happen.</p><p>“This is terribly idiotic, even by your standards,” Carolyn simply says as they finish catching her up. “You thought, what? You could just end one of the most influential organizations in the world by abducting Hélène?” Carolyn motions over towards Hélène sitting at the other end.</p><p>“I think Villanelle has wanted to see me in handcuffs for a while now,” Hélène replies, staring straight at her.</p><p>“Okay Carolyn, I know what this looks like..” Eve tries to defend herself.</p><p>“This looks like you have taken water over your heads,” Carolyn finishes her sentence, “I thought I told you to run away and never look back.”</p><p>“We didn’t have time to think it through, Oks- Villanelle got summoned and we just had to make our move,” Eve looks a bit shaken; Oksana feels shaken too.</p><p>“And why in god’s name did you involve me?” Carolyn now looks straight at her.</p><p>“You are the smartest woman we know,” Oksana tries, Carolyn does not look flattered, “and because sometimes to stop a fire from spreading you unleash more fire on it. And she threatened you.”</p><p>“I’m the fire here?” Carolyn asks, not even faced by being a subject to threats.</p><p>“Yes,” Eve replies. “Yes you are, you have been wanting to take them down for years. Is this not what you paid me for?”</p><p>“Paid, past tense.”</p><p>“Carolyn,” Eve is pleading now “we did this for your benefit too.”</p><p>“Eve, I’m going to tell you what I already told Villanelle - there is no way to end them, you cut one arm of , three new ones grow back,” Carolyn is probably right, neither of them want her to be right though.</p><p>“You flatter us,” Hélène says, raising her mimosa towards them with her now-free hand.</p><p>“Shut up Hélène,” all three of them snap their heads towards her.</p><p>Carolyn stands up, pacing in place. Thinking, hopefully plotting too. Oksana knows she is right about the water over their heads, but she can’t allow herself to think about that for too long. Carolyn is the smartest person they know, without her they don’t stand much of a chance. Carolyn sits down again.</p><p>”Hélène, I’m going to need you to message whoever is your contact that Villanelle has accepted your offer.” Oksana looks over at Eve as Carolyn says it, Eve’s excitement matching her own. <em>Victory.</em></p><p>“That was not a very polite request, a please or thank you is usually costumery,” Hélène looks around at the three of them.</p><p>Eve snaps up again, this time she is the one holding a knife. A butter knife. She puts it to Hélène’s neck, “This is not a request.”</p><p>“What? Are you going to spread me to death?” Hélène is unfaced by Eve snapping at her.</p><p>Oksana looks over at Eve and catches her eyes, she simply looks at her for a moment and then back at Eve’s chair and Eve gets it. She retreats back, putting her knife down slowly. Eve was never one to choose a good weapon. “Please,” Eve plasters on her biggest smile towards Hélène.</p><p>Hélène shrugs, “Only because you asked so nicely.”</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>They both feel a bit lighter after their morning going better than expected, she can see it in the way Eve walks, and looks at her. Her voice has gone back to being softer again, not sharp and metallic like before. They are on their way to their houseboat to get their keys. They are going sit in their new home for a while, away from Hélène’s judgment and the anxiety that has spread itself over the apartment.</p><p>“What sort of colour schemes are you thinking?” She asks</p><p>“Hmm,” Eve considers it “maybe yellows and blues? Try to keep it light,”</p><p>“We’re not good at keeping things light,” Oksana raises her brows at Eve. Eve laughs a bit at that. <em>Good.</em></p><p>They reach the boat in 20 more minutes; the very polite agent is already waiting on them. Keys in hand, shaking them as they approach. She unlocks the door for them, she has set up a bottle of champagne and a vase of flowers sit on their counter. They thank her before she leaves. The boat is emptier now, no more show objects filling it out. The boat is wide and let’s in all the light reflecting off the water. It’s Oksana’s favourite place she has ever lived in. If only for Eve standing in the middle of it, being bathed in the light.</p><p>“We probably need more storage, your clothes alone will fill this whole place,” Eve is thinking aloud.</p><p>“I was thinking more along the lines of no clothes, ever,” Oksana smirks at Eve, Eve just meets her eyes blankly but with a slight flush to her neck.</p><p>“Right, that works too” she clears her throat, “but we are probably going to leave this place every once in a while, you might want to get dressed for that.”</p><p>“Might yes,” she responds. Eve moves past her towards their bedroom in the front of the boat. Oksana follows. “Great sized bed.”</p><p>“Yes, it’s very nice.”</p><p>Oksana moves and wraps her arms around Eve from behind, she can feel Eve draw in a breath and it makes her organs shift. She leans down and plants a kiss behind Eve’s ear, this time only she is glad Eve’s hair is up so she can leave a trail from behind her ear down her neck. Eve leans her head back onto her shoulder, it feels so natural and simple when it’s just the two of them. Even if she can count on one hand the times they have kissed since the bridge, she feels extremely connected to Eve in other ways. In these ways, swaying with her looking at <em>their </em>bedroom, breathing in the same rhythm.</p><p>She loves getting Eve riled up, usually from sheer annoyance but even more like this. Seeing her cheeks turn darker, and feeling her breath go deeper. The amount of times she’s thought of seeing Eve shake under her is sinful, but Oksana asks forgiveness from no god. She feels emboldened by Eve pushing back into her as her lips touch her neck.</p><p>“It’s only right we try it out, no?” Oksana whispers, lifting one hand from Eve’s stomach and motioning towards the bed.</p><p>“I think it would be wrong not to,” Eve’s voice comes out like a rasp. <em>God damn you Eve.</em></p><p>She whips Eve around; she’s staring up at her with a look that makes her whole body pulsate. She wraps her arms around her again and shoves her up against the side of their too-small wardrobe. She puts her whole body against her, wanting to feel Eve with every part of her. She crashes into her with her lips and Eve lifts her hands up in her hair and makes fists. It hurts, but in the kind of way that makes Oksana feel alive. It’s intense, and it’s rushed and it’s all she’s ever wanted.</p><p>“Fuck,” Eve pants between breaths. Oksana pauses, “No, keep going,” Eve sounds desperate. Oksana is more than happy to oblige. Eve tastes like coffee and strawberries and Oksana wants to kiss her forever.</p><p>Oksana runs her tongue over Eve’s, and it makes Eve buckle. She holds her steady; Eve is trying to regain some control now; she grabs at Oksana’s shirt to try to turn them around. When that doesn’t work Eve drags her fingers along her scalp and Oksana wants her to leave her whole body bruised, she wants to be ripped apart by Eve. No romance, no softness this is just desperation.<br/>
<br/>
As Oksana is distracted Eve manages to push her back and she becomes unsteady and Eve is on her again, guiding her back until her legs hit the bed. She falls down, with Eve climbing on top of her. Her whole body is burning now.</p><p>“Take your shirt off,” Oksana commands.</p><p>Eve is ignoring her; Eve’s eyes have turned dark again, and it sends shivers down her spine and it makes her ache. She thrusts up at Eve trying to find some relief, some friction. Eve’s legs anchor her, and Oksana knows she could just poke Eve once and be back in control, but she doesn’t want control. She wants Eve to look down at her like this, like she is going to devour her.</p><p>Eve leans back, “Take your shirt off.” Oksana follows direction and pulls her shirt off in world record speed.</p><p>Eve is rough on her neck, both lips and teeth and she can’t help but let out pathetic whimpers. <em>God damn you, Eve. </em>When she continues down her neck and onto her chest she reaches up her hand and wraps it around Oksana’s neck. She holds down and between Eve anchoring her legs, running her tongue over her nipple, and the jolting pain of being choked over her hickeys Oksana can’t do much more than grab onto the sheets and <em>oh god…</em></p><p>“Oh god,” she let’s out. Her eyes fall shut, “Fuck me, Eve.” Her back arches into Eve’s mouth. “Fuck me,” it’s all breathy and whimpers and…</p><p>Eve kindly follows her command this time. The room spins and Eve rocks into her at the pace of the waves and one could call that romantic if it weren’t for the fact that Eve really does devour her. She can’t ever remember feeling like this as Eve grows rougher and her stomach grows warmer, and it’s building and she’s not ready. And she’s never wanted anything more. Her pathetic whimpers turn louder and louder as Eve puts her mouth around her, and it’s all so much. Too much, and her whole body shakes, and she can’t stop shaking and riding into Eve’s face and the two of them are now the ones creating the pace for the waves, rocking the whole boat. She cries out as Eve uses her free hand to pinch her nipple again, and she digs her hands roughly into Eve's scalp.</p><p>It takes the two of them way too long to get the room to stop spinning, and to get air into their lungs again. They’ve already spent longer at the boat than they intended but either of them wants to leave yet, Eve lays and looks sleepily at Oksana as she strokes her cheek. Oksana has not been able to stop smiling, she might never stop. Not now when she knows what Eve looks like panting underneath her, completely naked.</p><p>“Can’t believe we haven’t done that until now,” Oksana says and puts her hand over Eve’s.</p><p>“I know,” Eve still sounds breathy. They stay like that for another moment, with glassy eyes and sweat dripping down their backs. Still tasting Eve in her mouth and smelling herself on Eve’s hand, this is the most perfect moment of her life.</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>As they are dressed and decent again the sun is starting to hang low on the sky, and it’s chilly enough for both of them to pull another layer on. They sit on the sun deck looking over the sun setting, Oksana feels like a spoiled brat. Her girlfriend by her side, the orgasm of her life behind her and <em>this</em>, this view that no one could ever tire off.</p><p>“Okay so we need more storage, blue paint and some art to spruce up the walls,” Oksana starts rambling off their shopping list.</p><p>“Say spruce again,” Eve challenges, with a rise to her brow.</p><p>A beat passes. “Eve,” Oksana starts, looking away “Do you sometimes hate me?”</p><p>“Very often,” Eve is still joking around.</p><p>“Eve,” Oksana gathers up all her courage and turns to look at her, “When you see my face, do you sometimes just see the person who killed your best friend, or the person who demolished your old safe life? And do you hate me then?”</p><p>Eve takes a moment to consider her response, “Hélène really got to you, huh?” she asks. Oksana just nods. “I don’t hate you; I knew exactly who you were and what you’ve done when I chose you.”</p><p>Oksana just nods in response, “I mean, I did hate you when Bill died. I just don’t anymore, and don’t try to psychoanalyse what that says about me,” Eve says pointing a finger at Oksana, “but I really never hate you. You’re an ass and a drama queen, but I still love- “she pauses, “I still love you.”</p><p><em>Eve loves me. </em>It makes her organs finally shift back into place.</p><p>“What about you?” Eve asks quietly, <em>Eve who loves me, </em>“Am I a woman for you?”</p><p>“She got to you too, huh?” Oksana asks, and now Eve is the one who simply nods, “You’re not <em>a</em> woman for me, you’re <em>the</em> woman for me.”</p><p>“You’re a cheesy bitch, Oksana.”</p><p>“Call me a bitch again,” Oksana is now the one challenging, with a rise to her brow.</p><p>Oksana wants to throw her phone into the river when it starts ringing, god damn technology <em>is </em>ruining lives. She looks apologetically over at Eve who waves her off, Oksana pulls it out of her pocket. Carolyn’s name is flashing across her screen. <em>Oh shit. </em>They were supposed to be back at the apartment half an hour ago for a team de-brief. Eve gets the same <em>"oh shit"</em> look in her eyes as she also realises. They fumble and race out of their home to go jump in an uber.</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>When they enter the apartment Carolyn is sitting on the sofa opposite Hélène, both of them looking up at them with disappointment when they crash in an hour later than promised. It feels like they are two teenagers who broke curfew, it’s kind of exciting. Both women on the sofa are holding a glass of wine in hand and there are boxes of takeout on the table.</p><p>“It’s very rude to leave people waiting,” Carolyn simply greets them.</p><p>“It’s very rude not feeding your prisoner,” Hélène follows with, “starvation constitutes..”</p><p>“Torture, yeahyeah,” Eve waves her off, as she moves into the apartment to get her own glass.  <em>She's sexy when she's annoyed.</em></p><p>“Glad to see you two getting along nicely,” Oksana simply says. She notices Carolyn has even uncuffed Hélène’s hands.</p><p>“Yes, well we had plenty of time to bond before you arrived,” Hélène puts emphasis on the word plenty.</p><p>“The best laid plans only work if all involved follow the plan,” Carolyn is still scolding them, and Oksana looks on her with a smile. <em>God Carolyn is the best.</em></p><p>“Well I wouldn’t really call this plan well laid,” Oksana responds as she places herself on the floor on the other side of the coffee table.</p><p>“The plan might not be, but glad to see you are,” Hélène raises her eyebrows at her. Oksana hears Eve trying not to choke on her wine in the background. <em>How does she know? </em>She wouldn’t put it past Hélène to be able to read minds.</p><p>“Right,” Carolyn moves on, “They are very thrilled with you accepting their job offer.”</p><p>“Oh really?” Eve says finally recovered from Hélène’s comment, she walks to sit next to Oksana.</p><p>“Yes,” Hélène continues, “Me and Carolyn here thought it might be a good idea for you to do a job for them.” <em>Nononono, </em>Oksana looks over at Eve when Hélène says it. Eve looks just as confused as her, she then turns to Carolyn.</p><p>“Carolyn?” Oksana questions, the last thing she wants is to work for the twelve.</p><p>“Yes, I think you might have to.” <em>Damn it, Carolyn.</em> “As to not raise suspicion. Then we can work towards trying to get Hélène’s boss to agree to meet us.”</p><p>“Right, and then what? We kidnap our way through the twelve until we reach the final boss?” Eve questions.</p><p>“That might’ve been something for the two of you to think about before starting this hell roller coaster off,” Carolyn says, and she’s right this is on them of course. It's not like either her or Eve could think of a better plan now. She's going to do a job for them again. She tries to let it sink in, but it's starting to feels like the worst laid plan.</p><p>“I’m all in on this now, consider me your new co-conspirator, girls supporting girls,” Hélène raises her glass towards all of them.</p><p>“What a feminist icon you are,” Eve says as she clinks Hélène’s glass.<em> I'll do this for Eve, Eve who loves me.</em></p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>1. Is this turning into an Author/Carolyn Martens fic? It might just.<br/>2. The smut came out of nowhere while writing but well, shit/sex happens.<br/>3. Can one trust Hélène? Who knows?<br/>4. I'm unsure whose POV the next chapter will be in, might mix it up and have multiple POVs in the next one.</p><p>Finally, you guys are making me feel spoiled with all the kind comments and the kudos, I really appreciate it! Half way through the fic now, how are we feeling?</p>
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<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Other types of under cover work</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Oksana is back at work, being very excellent and Eve is back on her full time job of trying to decipher her own thoughts, and she is making some excellent points and some not so excellent spaghetti. </p><p>Alternative chapter titles include: "You're beautiful", "Who is Carole Baskin?" or "Meeting of the minds."</p><p>First half is Oksana's POV and second half is Eve's.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>OKSANA'S POV</p><p>They wake up to an empty apartment, just her and Eve. Hélène took up the offer of staying in Carolyn’s guestroom, no longer holding her as a hostage. Oksana is unsure, unsure of how she’ll feel being back on the job. It’s not like it’s been long since she killed, but those were just for practical reasons. Rhian for Eve and Dasha for Konstantin. Well, her and Eve killed Dasha. The last job she did though was not fun and killing used to be fun. The theatrics and the planning and watching her prey, she used to feel invincible on her job. She was good at it too, and she was very well compensated. That helped.</p><p>“Are you nervous?” Eve asks her, for once Oksana hasn’t woken up before her.</p><p>“Yes,” she decides to be honest, “the last job I did for them ended badly and I never wanted to do it again.”</p><p>“Do you think they want you to kill someone?”</p><p>“Maybe, the last time they promoted me they did,” Oksana remembers the frustration and she is trying to prepare, as to not be disappointed again.</p><p>They are both staring up at the ceiling, lying next to each other. There’s no rush to get up, no rush to go and face the world yet. The world which has a job lined up, and a poorly laid plan.</p><p>“Do you think we can actually beat them?” Eve asks, sounding deep in thought, “What are we even doing?” she lets out a laugh.</p><p>“What do you mean?”</p><p>“I mean, why did we even come here? For Carolyn? For ourselves? Because we can’t live normal lives?” Eve is rambling, “Because being happy is just not for us?”</p><p>“Would you have been happy?” Oksana counters, “If we didn’t come back? If we settled somewhere and just watched each other turn grey?”</p><p>“Yes,” Eve turns her head towards her, “or I don’t know, I probably would’ve missed this running-straight-into danger-life. If you can call it a life.” She huffs, “I was really happy just the two of us running around the world, but what are we if we’re not on a mission?”</p><p>“Two women living off pastries?” Oksana tries to lighten the mood.</p><p>“Mh,” Eve smiles a little at that, “but I’m serious. Let’s say we take them down, head off and all that. Then what? We just do crosswords and make slow love in the country of the day?”</p><p>“I’d love to make slow love to you,” because <em>god</em> she really would.</p><p>“Oksana,” Eve is not in the playing mood.</p><p>“I don’t know Eve; I don’t know what a life outside of this looks like.”</p><p>The words linger in the air and attaches themselves to dust flying around, and it feels like their lives is in limbo once more. Because why would lasting peace offer itself up to them? They lay for a moment, not saying anything just turning to look back at the ceiling again. They should get up; they should get ready and dressed and stuff all their belongings into their bags again. Neither of them can find the strength to.</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>It feels like a relief being out of the apartment, even if it means having to go to Carolyn’s house to meet Hélène. Oksana walks slowly, letting herself take some time to gather herself up. She’s wearing her favourite slacks/blouse combination and her hair falls in a ponytail slapping her neck as she walks.</p><p>“Hi, Villanelle,” Hélène opens the door for her.</p><p>“Hi, Hélène” she says walking inside past her, “is Carolyn home?”</p><p>“No, she has some errands to run, so it’ll just be us now,” Hélène follows, and they walk into Carolyn’s dining room. Carolyn’s house is both very masculine and feminine with an array of interesting pieces and wooden details. A classy home for a classy woman.</p><p>On the table is a folder and Oksana wants to throw it out the window. “This my job?” she motions to the folder as they settle on opposite sides of the table.</p><p>“Yes,” Hélène pulls it towards herself, “are you nervous?”</p><p>“No,”</p><p>“Big day, moving up in the world,”</p><p>“Well I’m only doing this to keep us safe,” Oksana counters.</p><p>“Right. Still they think you’re good enough to be promoted. Doesn’t that feel good?” Hélène is prying, Oksana is unsure of what she’s looking for.</p><p>“Tell me about the job,” she keeps the conversation going.</p><p>She has not been asked to kill someone, <em>thank god. </em>Instead they have sent over a folder with three men’s headshots in. They want her to attend a cocktail reception and get close enough to all three of them to get their phones. This is too easy; pickpocketing is child’s play. She smiles a bit at the memory of teaching Irina the artform.</p><p>“We have a dress picked out for you,” Hélène says.</p><p>“They just want me to get their phones?” Oksana is confused.</p><p>“Yes,” Hélène smiles, “it’s very important they get those phones.”</p><p>“Why?”</p><p>“Why do you care?”</p><p>“Tell me why”</p><p>“These three men work for the Bulgarian secret service, the twelve have been looking into sending some waves through Bulgaria. Not sure why,” Hélène explains, “but they need their phones to ensure they are big enough fish to cause waves. If they are, then they get taken out.”</p><p>“I thought I got promoted, why do I have to do this job?” Oksana wonders.</p><p>“Well, see it as payback for taking out Rhian, who we would’ve sent in your place.”</p><p><em>Right, Rhian. </em>She doesn’t question anymore, because in all honesty it sounds kind of fun. Dressing up, going undercover and locating her target. Then getting close enough using whatever resources available to her and pulling a fast one on them. Oksana loves how easily men are fooled by a pretty girl in a pretty dress, she loves playing with them.</p><p>“Why did you kill Dasha?” Hélène suddenly asks through the door as Oksana is getting changed.</p><p>“She was in the way,” she responds <em>because she was.</em></p><p>“Of what?”</p><p>“Of me,” Oksana runs her hands over the dress it’s a gorgeous silk piece that makes her look very <em>very</em> expensive. She knows it would make Eve’s jaw drop, nothing makes her feel as powerful as making Eve’s jaw drop.</p><p>“Of you of what?</p><p>Oksana doesn’t respond, she doesn’t even understand Hélène’s question anymore. Besides, she’s way too busy taking a photo of herself to send to Eve. <em>God, if this doesn’t cheer her up.</em></p><p>“Villanelle?” Hélène opens the door.</p><p>“Hm?” she turns to show her dress off.</p><p>“Perfect,” Hélène says looking her up and down, deciding she’s hot enough for the mission.</p><p>Oksana smiles and runs her hands up her sides. She looks at herself in the mirror again<em>, she is hot enough. </em>Hélène moves behind her, taking her hair tie out and letting her hair fall over her shoulders for a moment. Then she starts moving her fingers through it, to gather it up into a high bun. It feels nice, being taken care of.</p><p>“You were going to run with Konstantin, yes?” Hélène asks, no tone change. Like she already knows because she probably already knows.</p><p>“Yes,” no point in lying “but there were things here worth staying for.”</p><p>“You stayed for her?” this time Hélène’s voice goes up an octave.</p><p>“Of course,” <em>of course</em> “she stayed for me too.”</p><p>“I will never understand what you see in her,” Hélène says.</p><p>“We’re the same,” Oksana simply says, turning to look at Hélène’s work. The bun looks incredible, showing off her shoulders and jaw. It makes her look more expensive, if possible.</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>Not long ago on a bridge not far from here she had said she never wanted to do this again, any of it. Now as she stands in the middle of a packed room, pretending to drink her cocktail that does not ring true anymore. She has already spotted two of the men she is here to play with, and she lets herself linger on the complications of really enjoying this but only for one moment. She works the room, around and around until she ends up in the same circle as the first man. A short guy, with a full beard and greying stands in his hair. She leans in to laugh, and she runs her hand over her pinned back hair and he’s looking at her with awe. It doesn’t take her more than two minutes to get close enough to slip a hand in to find his phone. Nice and easy.</p><p>The second guy looks the same, only taller, and more angular. He’s pretty handsome if you’re into the tall, dark thing. She again leans in to laugh at his jokes, and it takes her five minutes to get close enough to him to slip her hand again. She feels sorry for Bulgaria if this is the best they have to offer in terms of security. She lingers for a moment after, just to look at him. To feel powerful. She spots the third guy enter and quickly moves along to finish her job.</p><p>“You’re very beautiful,” the third man tells her after only a quick moment, poor stupid guy.</p><p>Oksana leaves an hour and a half after she first enters the room, three phones stuffed into her clutch and with her heart racing. She feels wide awake, and <em>god</em> she really missed holding that much power, and playing cat and mouse. She texts Hélène three phone emojis and the green check mark. She also notices Eve has yet to respond to her pictures, <em>rude.</em> Instead she just sends her a quick, “I’m on my way home”. She races to find a taxi to get to go home to Eve, <em>going home to Eve</em>. Now there’s a thought that always makes her heart race more than any undercover work could.</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>EVE'S POV</p><p>Eve has spent the whole day trying to keep herself occupied, she even took a walk. Eve doesn’t take walks; she much prefers boxing or yoga. But Eve took a walk because Oksana is off doing god knows what for god knows who. It’s all become very unsettling, not that that’s much of a change from what they’ve been doing up to this point. Eve still can’t wrap her head around what they’re doing. At least Oksana looks gorgeous in the dress she sent a picture of, Eve doesn’t even have words to respond to her.</p><p>To keep herself occupied she’s also gone grocery shopping, to cook dinner for when Oksana returns. De-brief and date night all in one. It’s one of their last nights in this apartment, which has brought them a lot of misery but also been their home for the longest up until now. Until they settle in their boat that is, which she isn’t super convinced is even a good idea anymore. If they don’t take them down is there even a life here for them? And if they do, then what? She’ll take a job in a café and Oksana will come visit during lunch, taking a break from her job as a carpenter? She doesn’t know anymore.</p><p>It makes her bones itch to think about slowing down like that, Eve was great at her job. Investigating, psychoanalysing, and putting pieces together. She would miss it. Perhaps it would be okay though, it’s not like a life with Oksana wouldn’t be exciting too. But Eve still doesn’t want to work in a café.</p><p>She doesn’t know which version of Oksana will return home to her either, will she be sad? Or excited? Does she feel conflicted about her job too? Eve tries to shrug it off by dancing around their apartment in her robe, peeling carrots. She feels normal-adjacent as she let’s her hair fly all over and she sings along to her playlist. After a few songs pass, her phone dings.</p><p>“I’m on my way home,”<em> finally.</em></p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>In barges a very wide-eyed Oksana only twenty minutes later. The scent of her drowns out all the vegetables and pasta. She’s wearing her power perfume.</p><p>“Hi,” Eve starts, “I made you dinner,”</p><p>“I can see that,” there is something bubbling in Oksana’s voice and Eve can’t quite put her finger on it.</p><p>“You look beautiful,” she says.</p><p>“You should respond when someone sends you a picture of themselves looking <em>that</em> beautiful,” Oksana says, tucking her clutch into her suitcase. Somehow they managed to pack all of their stuff up between their existential crises of the morning.</p><p>“I know,” Eve says and motions for her to sit down.</p><p>Instead Oksana stalks over, grabbing Eve by her robe and pulls her in close. Hollywood kiss with Oksana leaning over her, and her hands are so strong around her back. If she weren’t being held so tight she would just collapse right here. Even when Oksana pulls away from the kiss they stay like that, leaning and looking at each other. Eve feels like she is drowning in Oksana’s perfume and she would love to go out like this.</p><p>“Could you ever picture yourself doing anything besides this?” Eve asks as they let go of each other and sit down for dinner.</p><p>“Besides what?” Oksana wonders.</p><p>“Besides working for them or working for anyone but doing <em>that</em> kind of job,” Eve explains, “I tried to picture us today, working in a café or with carpentry. It didn’t feel very <em>us</em>.”</p><p>Oksana doesn’t look up at her, instead engaging in a staring contest with her spaghetti, “I really enjoyed today, it was exciting” <em>and she sounds</em>… Eve can’t put her finger on it.</p><p>Oksana has caught her up on the day’s job, and luckily she didn’t have to kill anyone because the last thing she needs is more contemplation around her murderous past. Eve knows she has been struggling to come to terms with it as is.</p><p>“I’ll miss my job too,” Eve admits, “when this is over when life slows down. I’ll miss it.”</p><p>“Maybe Carolyn will give us jobs?” Oksana sounds hopeful, looking at Eve with her lips closed and brows raised, “I’d love to do some undercover work.”</p><p>“I highly doubt that,” Eve sighs, “I don’t think she could find anything for us.”</p><p>They both sit in silence for a moment, enjoying their vegetables. Letting the day sink in, and Eve feel like her brain is full of knots she's been working on all day, and she is not very good at detangling things.</p><p>“But, what if it’s really nice?”</p><p>“Huh?” Eve is confused as to what Oksana means.</p><p>“Us, living quiet lives on our boat and waking up doing normal stuff,” Oksana explains, “maybe we can’t picture it because we’ve never been like that before. The two of us,” she points her fork between them.</p><p>“What if? what if not?”</p><p>“Eve don’t be a pessimist,” Oksana sounds annoyed when she says it, "these are just growing pains."</p><p>“Thinking about us like that,” Eve starts, “picking out artwork and walking and in hand at some farmers market sounds so nice,” Eve smiles, “but I’m unsure about that being sustainable for long.”</p><p>“We just have to find jobs that excite us,” Oksana says, very sure of herself.</p><p>“Right,” Eve says, “Right. We probably shouldn’t plan for failure before we even try it. Before we give it a good shot. We might be really good at it, and really happy,” not sure if she says it for Oksana or herself.</p><p>“I think so at least,” Oksana says.</p><p>“Because you’re in a great mood, because you got to do your job today,” it slips out before Eve can stop herself.</p><p>Oksana puts her fork down then, and stares at Eve. It might be true that that’s why Oksana is in a good mood, and Eve is trying to put a finger on why it bothers her so much. It’s not that she doesn’t think they couldn’t make it work, doing some acrobatics around their boredom and finding new hobbies, which could cure their boredom more permanently. Eve has always found Oksana fascinating, and larger than life and in many moments Eve has just felt like a side character in their story.</p><p>“Will you grow bored of me?” Eve asks.</p><p>“Eve, you’re the most exciting person I’ve ever met,” Oksana says it in a way that makes Eve’s heart stop.</p><p>“What if I’m not?”</p><p>“You are, you always surprise me and make me laugh, and you challenge me.”</p><p>“But one day when we’re a bit more old and grey I won’t anymore,” Eve begins, “I won’t surprise you.”</p><p>“I look forward to that day,” Oksana says, picking up her fork again.</p><p>Eve wants to rip her hair out, and also kiss her and perhaps this is the first day it’s all caught up to her, she’s just been running around chasing ghosts and today she stopped and she thought about it and she hasn’t been sure how to put it into words. All her fears, and the excitement and thinking about retiring.</p><p>“I’m spinning a bit,” Eve admits.</p><p>“I know,” Oksana says, “I know, we’ll be okay we’ve just had some very overwhelming days.”</p><p>“Are you sure you can leave it behind? Even if you loved today so much?”</p><p>“I can find other things to love,” Oksana states, “and I didn’t love today as much as I love you. Plus, there is other types of under cover work I can do.” She wiggles her brows.</p><p>That shuts Eve up, finally her head stops running circles around her and she can finish her dinner, <em>very clever Oksana.</em> She would have laughed at that but she isn't quite ready to give her that satisfaction. It has been some very overwhelming days, going from running away from them to running right towards them. She isn’t sure what, but something inside of her settles then on the idea of them being okay. Some of the knots in her brain come undone.</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>Carolyn calls her an hour after they’ve washed their dishes and changed into loungewear. It’s a bit comical the contrast of how the interpret lounge wear. Oksana sits in a matching ribbed grey set with flowing pants and Eve is wearing black sweatpants and a t-shirt with tigers on it.</p><p>“Do you think Carole Baskin killed her husband?” she had asked Oksana when she put it on.</p><p>“Who is Carole Baskin?” Oksana asked with a grin.</p><p>“You don’t know Carol-? Okay, me and you are watching Tiger King asap.” Eve decided.</p><p>They now lay on their sofa, well Oksana is sitting with Eve’s head in her lap. Doing her favourite past time of running her fingers through her curls. It feels nice so Eve doesn’t mind. Perhaps this could be something to occupy Oksana with for a few years, one of those hobbies Eve has heard people talk about.</p><p>“Hi Carolyn,” Eve picks up with, putting the phone on loudspeaker.</p><p>“Hi Eve,” Carolyn greets her, “I just heard from Hélène that the job today went well.”</p><p>“Of course it did, I’m very good,” Oksana lets Carolyn know about her presence.</p><p>“Well, we’re very pleased,” Carolyn says, “We’d like to invite the two of you for lunch, to exchange the phones and talk about next moves tomorrow. Hélène thinks it might be the right time to call for a meeting of the minds with her boss.”</p><p>“Right, what time is lunch?” Eve asks.</p><p>“At one, bring the phones.”</p><p>The line goes silent as Carolyn hangs up and Eve drops her phone onto the rug with a thud.</p><p>“Nice to see the two of them getting along,” Oksana states.</p><p>“Yes, really helps our case,” Eve says.</p><p>“Yes,” Oksana is still stroking her hair. Eve wants to lay here until Oksana’s pants have left a permanent imprint on her cheek.</p><p>They don't leave permanent marks but they stay there long enough for both of them to grow very tired, Eve let's out a yawn and it makes Oksana laugh, because this is who they are now, people who are tired before midnight. Eve sits up and Oksana swoops around and picks her up to carry her to bed. She doesn't even try to fight against it, letting herself get carried away by her because she always does. They both land in bed, deciding they're ready to take on the next day of their mission.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>1. Back on my bullshit with some angst, but I think some growing pains are healthy for any new couple. I also promise I won't always write Eve as a headless chicken, she always just seems to go there for me. (Even if she did bring up some very valid points). We all know she can take care of business.</p><p>2. Of course Oksana would be in carpentry, I don't know what Eve's "normal" job would be though. Perhaps she would make a kick-ass teacher but that felt a bit too much like you-know-who's character.</p><p>3. Hi Bulgaria, huge fan.</p><p>4. I'm thinking about bringing back an old face next chapter, I feel like we could do with some mixing up of the dynamics again. Plus we finally get to move out of the airbnb apartment, go us!</p><p>Thank you all for sticking with the story, three more chapters to go. You will get a new chapter before the week is over, I'm pretty sure.</p>
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<a name="section0006"><h2>6. That's very gay of you</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>This chapter picks up the next day, we get to follow their day from Eve’s POV. Lunch date, Ikea fun and some slow love.</p><p>Alternative chapter titles include: "Housewarming party", "synchronised swimming" or "You can have two moments".</p><p>Disclaimer: if you don’t want to read smut skip the fourth section after their furniture is assembled.</p>
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    <p>After shuffling in breakfast in record speed and putting her coffee in a takeaway cup her and Oksana are busy carrying bags and bags down the stairs of their Airbnb apartment into an awaiting Uber. The poor driver looked stressed until Oksana whispered they would tip him heavily. On their last trip up they look around, making sure everything is in order and then they look at each other, making sure everything is in order.</p><p>“You ready?” Oksana asks.</p><p>“Very,” Eve says and smiles, they turn and leave their last temporary home behind.</p><p>Unloading at the boat takes less effort than carrying all their bags down stairs and the driver gets his promised tip, looking very grateful before driving off for the next job. Inside the flowers the agent left for them are already wilting, <em>oops.</em> Eve settles on the L-shaped sofa after their bags are all over the floor, her favourite spot she’s decided.</p><p>“We should throw a house warming party,” Oksana says spinning around in front of her.</p><p>“We don’t have friends,” Eve laughs.</p><p>“Just for us then,” Oksana stops spinning and turns to Eve.</p><p>“Sure, let’s have a house warming party,” Eve agrees.</p><p>Oksana moves over and motions for Eve to stand, Eve takes her hand and hauls herself off the sofa. Oksana swoops her up and carries her out onto the sun deck, struggling before sliding the doors open. On account of carrying someone.</p><p>“Practising for when I get old and can’t walk anymore?” Eve asks.</p><p>“Stop that,” Oksana laughs, “I’m being romantic, carrying you in our home like I’ve seen in movies.”</p><p>“It’s usually customary to carry someone inside not outside,” Eve smiles, <em>this is quite romantic.</em></p><p>“Oop- “Oksana says and turns around on the deck, and carries her inside again, finally putting her down. “Like that?”</p><p>“Just like that,” Eve tells her, Oksana’s softness makes Eve feel seasick, in a pleasant way.</p><p>Eve steps closer to her and puts her arm around Oksana’s middle, pulling her towards her. After her blow out of yesterday she now feels very sure of herself, not scared anymore and she wants Oksana to know. So she tells her, with getting on her tiptoes and kissing her. Soft, as softly as she can. Immediately hands are in her hair, wrapping themselves in and Eve sends a silent wish for the hands to get stuck in there, so they have to stay like this all day.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>The clock is ten past one when they arrive at Carolyn’s, once more late for a meeting and ready to get scolding looks from the women inside. They’re matching in blue, but Villanelle going for a dress and Eve going for slacks and a t-shirt, the sun finally getting the memo that it’s summer, even in the UK.</p><p>“Good afternoon,” Carolyn meets them at the door.</p><p>“Hi, Carolyn,” Eve steps inside after Oksana.</p><p>They are greeted by Hélène sitting at the table, in her full get-up topped off by a scarf tied around her neck. Tapping her finger against her glass and looking up at them disapprovingly.</p><p>“We know,” Eve just says.</p><p>“Hi, Hélène. Always a pleasure to see you,” Oksana says with the widest of smiles, Eve wants to laugh at the theatrics, but she swallows it.</p><p>Carolyn motions for them to sit opposite the duo, on the table sits plates with steaming plates of <em>fish and chips? </em></p><p>“Looks delicious,” Eve motions to her food. It really does though.</p><p>“Carolyn do you not know how to cook?” Oksana asks.</p><p>Carolyn huffs at that and shrugs slightly, still looking controlled and <em>tired? </em>Eve wants to know how she is. How she’s coping. Carolyn almost looks her age as she sits, <em>so tired.</em></p><p>“Hélène, I have a gift for you,” Oksana waves her clutch around in the air, “but first, thank you for trusting me with such an important mission.”</p><p>Both the women on the other side of the table smile as they reach for the bag, Oksana pulls it back, “say thank you.”</p><p>“Thank you,” Hélène says without much enthusiasm, putting her hand out. The clutch lands in her hand.</p><p>“You’re welcome,” Oksana smiles then, at both of them and then wider at Eve. Eve has been busy stuffing her face with chips, because <em>yes</em>, this really is delicious.</p><p>“Right,” Eve wipes around her mouth with the back of her hand, “You two said it was time to work our way up?”</p><p>“Yes,” again in unison from the other side, like being front row at a synchronised swimming competition.</p><p>Hélène puts her hand on Carolyn’s arm, very subtly but not subtly enough, to shut her up. “Yes, we’ve been talking about under what guise we should call a meeting. I was thinking we should say Villanelle has been very naughty and we need to talk about her future with us.”</p><p>“Wouldn’t that put her in danger?”</p><p>“She’s already in danger, Eve,” Hélène simply points out. <em>She’s right.</em></p><p>“Hmm,” Oksana twirls a chip between her fingers, “I think they might go for it”.</p><p>“Me too,” Carolyn simply states and nods at Hélène.</p><p>“Look at us,” Hélène speaks with more enthusiasm than ever before seen in her, “scheming how to really stick it to them. That’ll show them.”</p><p>“We haven’t shown them anything yet,” Eve says behind a mouth full.</p><p>“We will though, very exciting,” Hélène says, finally reaching for her fork to start eating.</p><p>After a very delicious very quiet lunch the four women gather up their plates and Hélène goes off to retrieve her phone, Oksana sits at the table scrolling through listings of vintage furniture for sale and Eve and Carolyn meet in the kitchen.</p><p>“Are you alright?” Eve asks, no reason to dance around it anymore.</p><p>“Quite, thank you”</p><p>“No, Carolyn,” Eve shakes her head, “You don’t seem quite alright, no offence.”</p><p>“I’ve had a lot on my plate is all Eve, I am quite alright.”</p><p>Eve accepts her answer if only because Hélène walks back in the room, or because maybe she is not ready to hear of the reality of Carolyn’s heartache. She chooses to believe it’s because of Hélène though, as not to be a bad friend.</p><p>“Text sent,” Hélène waves her phone at them.</p><p>“Perfect,” Oksana smiles up from her furniture shopping, “We should be off, big day,” she emphasises big with her hand movements.</p><p>“Thank you, Carolyn,” Eve says before she turns to join Oksana walking out of the room.</p><p>“Thank you, Carolyn” Oksana says too, before they exit.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>After another Uber ride they end up at the front enterance of Ikea, Eve knows this will be the true test of the relationship.</p><p>“Why Ikea, Eve?” Oksana had moaned when Eve suggested they go there.</p><p>“Because, it’s fast, cheap and has okay furniture.”</p><p>“Fast? When has going to Ikea been fast?” with a concerned look on her face.</p><p>Eve loves Ikea though, really her ideal date. Just walking around, taking her time to collect inspiration, and no they furniture is not personal or unique but it’s still good enough, plus Eve is hoping to at least get some meatballs out of this.</p><p>After walking around for awhile Oksana is the one who is more excited, taking her time to look around at all the pieces. Eve is standing in a kitchen set-up when she comes to stand beside her.</p><p>“Finally going to learn how to cook?” Oksana teases.</p><p>“I’m a great chef, thank you,” Eve teases back.</p><p>“Pfft” she gets as a response and Oksana moves around, opening all the cupboards because sure you have to check them all, a very dad move.</p><p>They move through, and no, they really are not making great speed but they’re having fun. Eve feels carefree when she sees Oksana waltz around holding up throw pillows in different shades. After two hours they get to the storage and shelving section.</p><p>“I like darker wood, but I like this shelf,” Oksana points at the wall.</p><p>“I’m sure there are different shades,” Eve says, there is a pause.</p><p>“What if we don’t make it out?” <em>way to be carefree Eve,</em> her eyes continue roaming the section “Uuuh, look at this one,” distracted just as fast, there is a small white chest of drawers that would fit perfectly in their bedroom.</p><p>Oksana doesn’t follow to look at it, she stands still. Eve looks up at her to see the blonde really considering her words.</p><p>“What if we don’t make it out?” Oksana mirrors her words.</p><p>“Then we don’t, then we won’t have to assemble any of this at least,” Eve tries to lighten the mood back to the former carefree state.</p><p>“And you’re okay risking it all?”</p><p>“Of course, if there’s a small possibility you get to be free I’d risk anything,” Eve answers honestly.</p><p>Eve pulls out the drawers of their potential new storage piece, nice amount of space.</p><p>“Really?” her voice is thick now.</p><p>“Really,” Eve tells her as she stands from their new chest of drawers, having decided it’s the one. She moves to her and gives her a kiss on the cheek before pointing to the number for Oksana to jot down. “I’m sorry I brough it up even, it just now hit me we might die.”</p><p>Oksana laughs at that, “Shelves making you think of your own mortality?”</p><p>“Something like that,” Eve matches her laugh.</p><p>After having picked out their curtains, throw pillows and decided on a couple of storage solutions they make it to the final section with the bedroom set-ups. Most of them are neutral, with white and wood tones but there is one in royal blue with yellow details that Eve <em>really</em> likes. She spends a moment just looking around it.</p><p>“Dark blue, huh?” Oksana asks behind her, “I thought you wanted to keep it light.”</p><p>“I thought we weren’t good at that,” Eve says with a smile.</p><p>She feels Oksana walk up behind her, “Great sized bed,” she whispers in Eve’s ear.</p><p>Somethings stirs in here then when she realizes what Oksana is doing. She takes a deep breath, “Yes, it’s very nice”.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>Eve never got her meatballs, instead Oksana insisted on making them some soup at home. Deciding they need the nutritional value of a home cooked meal after all their days of eating take-out. Eve was never one to guess Oksana cared so much for nutrition. Honestly, Eve just wanted to get home as she grew quite distracted watching Oksana walk around swaying her hips after the bedrooms.</p><p>“This is delicious,” Eve says blowing her second spoonful of soup to cool it down.</p><p>“Glad you like it,” Oksana says between mouthfuls.</p><p>They sit in their dining area, for their first real meal in their new home. It makes Eve feel all warm inside, and not just for the soup burning its way down her throat.</p><p>“I don’t want to build furniture tonight,” Eve huffs thinking of the boxes in their living room.</p><p>“We should though, no?”</p><p>“We should,” Eve agrees.</p><p>“I’m very good at building things,” Oksana brags, Eve secretly loves Oksana this cocky.</p><p>“That’s very gay of you,” she just responds with butterflies in her stomach.</p><p>“Perhaps,” Oksana just shrugs.</p><p>“After we can do things that are even more gay,” Eve says, feeling bold. Oksana looks at her with surprised glee.</p><p>“You’re getting me very excited Eve.”</p><p>“Good.”</p><p>She is very good at building things, and Eve is very good at deciphering the instructions, being an investigator and all that. The fact that you need ten plus years of investigation experience to build furniture with only one screw left over is the real mystery though.</p><p>They put their new coffee table by the L-shaped sofa and fills that with their new pillows. The left over screws get put in a bowl on top of the table. A little homage to their victory over Ikea, and <em>definitely not</em> the other way around.</p><p>Finally they carry their small chest of drawers into their bedroom, finishing their day of decorating off.</p><p>“We should get a round mirror for above,” Oksana suggests.</p><p>“Yes, that would look nice.”</p><p>“You look nice,” Oksana says, and Eve is absolutely certain she does not with all the back sweat running down her, but it still sounds true when she says it.</p><p>“You look nice,” Eve says and stands in front of her to push a piece of sweaty hair out of her face. <em>She really does.</em></p><p>Oksana looks almost shy as she smiles, and swallows. She grabs Eve by the waist, this time with no rush or desperation, and she drags her in by the belt loops to kiss her.</p><p>Their lips trace around each other for a long time and Eve’s back grows more and more sweaty, and her knees. <em>Oh,</em> her knees become weak at the sound of a low moan against her lips. She grinds towards Oksana and she gets spun around to sit on their bed.</p><p>Oksana pulls Eve’s shirt off. Then she is back, softly pressing against her lips, running her tongue over Eve’s bottom one. Eve lets her in, and her body is burning again, so she leans back, and Oksana follow on top as she presses her tongue against hers. The pace is painfully slow, and Eve wants more, she grabs at Oksana’s face trying to get it.</p><p>Oksana pulls away, “Patience Eve.”</p><p>“Fuck you,” Eve breathes.</p><p>“Later, for now I’ll do the fucking,” Eve is sure she’ll have a stroke because of the way Oksana says fucking. <em>Fucking fuck you.</em></p><p>Oksana traces her hands all over Eve, slowly letting them roam every part of her. Her arms, neck, her chest, and her stomach. It sends shiver across Eve everywhere Oksana touches her, and Oksana leans in after her hands to kiss the bumps. Taking all of her in.</p><p>Oksana unbuttons Eve’s pants and pulls them off, continuing her slow crusade down her body. Tracing and stroking and kissing behind the trail of her hands. Eve can’t help but move her hips when Oksana kisses her thighs. <em>So close, </em>but not close enough.</p><p>Eve rocks against Oksana’s bare thigh as she comes back up to kiss Eve’s mouth, but there’s still too much fabric in between them. Oksana pulls back and gives Eve a look, <em>patience. </em>Eve hates this, she is so turned on it aches in all her bones and she just wants, <em>no - </em>needs relief. Oksana kisses down her neck, over her chest and lands on her nipple. Eve was never one to enjoy her nipples played with much before, but with Oksana looking up at her with her big eyes and mouth around her it’s enough to almost finish right then and there. Eve whimpers and throws her head back.</p><p>“So good,” she moans.</p><p>Oksana kisses down her again, stopping to kiss her stomach and her sides and her hips and thighs and <em>finally,</em> her lips lands right on Eve. It’s all so soft and slow, and there is a pull inside Eve when her lips take her in and <em>god.</em> Eve tries to rock again to quicken the process. Hands land on her hips, holding her in place.</p><p>Even though it’s all slow and tracing and no hands Eve builds fast but not fast enough, she looks down at Oksana who looks up at her like she’s a piece of art she’s taking her time creating. Eve could cry. Eve might actually cry if she can’t get more of Oksana on her soon.</p><p>“Hands, please,” she pleads between breaths. Oksana’s hands don’t move from her hips.</p><p>“Please,” she manages to get out once more.</p><p>Finally the hands move from her hips and two fingers fill her, it’s still a slow pace but Eve just lets herself melt on them. She feels dizzy, with the pace and the sweetness and she feels, so much. And then some more and more until she lifts off the bed and <em>fucking fuck you.</em> She shakes on fingers and tongue and Oksana leads her right through it, keeping her pace until Eve stops shaking.</p><p>Eve takes forever to come down, pushing Oksana’s head away from her as to not explode. Oksana kisses her way up, stopping off to kiss all of her once more. She comes back in view, and it breaks Eve. This time her throat burns, and her eyes burn too much to stay open.</p><p>Oksana kisses over her closed eyes, “Are you sad?”</p><p>“So happy,” she chokes out, “you’re so beautiful.”</p><p>Oksana lays on top of her, still with her full outfit on and let’s her full weight spread over Eve.</p><p>“I need a moment,” Eve whispers.</p><p>“I know, you can have two moments," Oksana whispers back.</p><p>“You’re very generous,” Eve hums, letting her hands stroke Oksana's back.</p><p>“I <em>am</em>, a real giver one might say,” Eve opens her eyes to look at her disapprovingly for that comment, but she can’t manage to. Not when Oksana is staring down at her like this. She kisses her again instead.</p><p>"How is this for a housewarming party?" Oksana asks.</p><p>"Best I've ever been to," and that's a very true statement, “time for me to be generous now."</p><p>"Ah, my housewarming gift?" Oksana asks before Eve silences her with kisses.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>It’s gone 10 in the evening, both of them are sitting on the deck after a very long, very cold shower. The sun has already set, instead they’re staring out at the water rippling at an uneven pace. Eve’s phone rings because it always rings when she least wants it to. Unknown caller, she shows Oksana the screen. Oksana gestures for her to pick it up.</p><p>“Hello?” Eve is expecting a scripted hello from a sales person back.</p><p>“Hello, Eve,” <em>Hélène.</em></p><p>“Hi, Hélène,” she says, signalling to Oksana who’s calling.</p><p>“We got confirmation of the meeting, two days from now.”</p><p>“Perfect, where does he want to meet?” Eve asks.</p><p>“You assume it’s a man?” Hélène inquires.</p><p>“Of course, isn’t it always?”</p><p>“Not always, but this time, yes. It is,” Hélène says.</p><p>“Where does <em>he</em> want to meet?” Eve is annoyed.</p><p>She gets the details and gestures for Oksana’s phone; she takes note of time and location. After a few back and forth questions and answers on the meeting Eve feels satisfied she knows enough, though she knows nothing.</p><p>“Don’t be late,” Hélène warns.</p><p>“Of course not,” Eve says.</p><p>“That’s not a given, seeing as you’ve been late to both of our meetings.”</p><p>“We’re sorry,” Eve says trying to put a smile in her tone.</p><p>“I must say the two of you make quite the pair,” Hélène tells her.</p><p>“Thank you,” Eve says.</p><p>“That was not a compliment.”</p><p>The line goes quiet, <em>rude.</em> She turns and tells Oksana about their meeting in two days. Or the little she knows of it, just a man and a location. And Carolyn will be there, but that’s what they know. Eve puts the details in her phone too, to make double sure they won’t be late. They’ll probably still be, but A for effort.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>1. Carolyn, darling, how are you doing?</p><p>2. Don't @ me about the Ikea store layout, it's all over but I needed it to be like that for the dramatic effect.</p><p>3. Honestly just take me furniture shopping on a date, I agree with Eve that Ikea is an ideal date location.</p><p>4. Villeneve are both tops who love to bottom for eachother, confirmed.</p><p>Next chapter will be a while, it's going to be a real long one. Trying to tie a bow on this fic is going to be difficult but I'm excited for the challenge over the next two chapters. Thank you for reading, I will never not be super excited for every new hit.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. The twelve kills with kindness</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Oksana’s POV. Covert car meeting, power rangers assemble to meet Hélène's boss. Hilarity ensues. (Read: messiness ensues.)</p><p>Alternative chapter titles include: “This is your dirty work”, "Extensive deescalation training.” or “Never mix business and pleasure”.</p><p>Disclaimer: mentions of a gun in the second half of the chapter, no graphic violence though.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Unfortunately, they have to wake up on this day too and pull themselves apart from each other. Eve once again laying with her head locked between her shoulder and jaw. It feels nice to feel her hair tickle her cheek, it makes Oksana giggle every time. Eve has made her a giggler. <em>Disgusting.</em></p><p>What is not disgusting though is seeing Eve wobble out of their room and smile with pure glee as Oksana presents her with coffee on the sundeck, really a dream come true. They sit and listen to the birds as the world wakes up with them.</p><p>After breakfast she again pulls a matching jacket on over her favourite white blouse, she goes through her usual routine for whenever she needs to feel powerful. Eve is watching her from her pile of tossed-around t-shirts, she needs a power moment too, but none of her clothes lend her that feeling.</p><p>“I’m going to take you clothes shopping,” Oksana proclaims.</p><p>“It’s so boring,” Eve sighs, looking around her pile again.</p><p>Oksana goes over to their new chest of drawers and pulls out a white Chloé blouse and holds it up towards Eve, “Perfect with your dark trousers”. It feels natural, to lean down and place a kiss on Eve’s lips in her pile of stress, it feels natural every time they kiss like they’ve done it forever.</p><p>“Is it weird I’m more stressed about clothes than our meeting of the minds today?” Eve questions, standing up to take the shirt. Oksana just shrugs.</p><p>Eve pulls it on and <em>wow</em>, Eve really does look like power. It drips off her in the way she looks at herself in the mirror and runs her hands over the material. Oksana loves watching her, especially in moments like these. She gives Eve an approving smile in the mirror and they’re as ready as they’ll ever be.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>They catch a taxi over to the location Carolyn has dropped for them. The ride is slow and steady, taking them 30 minutes away from their home and ending up besides a residential building.</p><p>“What now?” Eve asks as they step out.</p><p>“I’ll call them,” Oksana suggests.</p><p>They get lead down into the basement of the building by phone and guided to a dark car in the corner of the parking garage. Inside sits the two women, looking like power too in their interpretation of summer looks. Coats do not belong to summer, but when someone wears them like that they do.</p><p>“Good afternoon ladies,” Hélène starts.</p><p>“We’re not late for once,” Eve beams, like they deserve an award.</p><p>“Well done,” Carolyn says adjusting in her seat to look back to them in the back. “Now for things that actually deserve praise. As you know Hélène has managed to, without any suspicion, get us a meeting with her boss, a Mr. Wilkinson for this afternoon.”</p><p>“He agreed to meet us on the other side of the street in the closed down former car shop,” Hélène continues on, “at 5pm sharp.”</p><p>“Sharp, got it,” Oksana says, making a mental note of not being late.</p><p>“What’s the plan of attack then?” Eve asks.</p><p>“I go in first,” Hélène says, “I talk to him, wind him down, get his guard down.”</p><p>“You two will sit with me here listening in,” Carolyn points to her glove compartment, “we have some equipment to our disposal.”</p><p>“Once I say the safe word,” Hélène smiles over at Carolyn proudly, “Denmark”.</p><p>“Wow, how many glasses of wine did that take to figure out?” Eve laughs.</p><p>“One or two,” Carolyn continues, “After the safe word you two move in.”</p><p>“Yes, you’ll enter through the front, so he sees you coming, so he knows he’s outnumbered,” Hélène lays out, “What we want from him are names, he’s quite a high ranking member so he’ll know.”</p><p>“Then what?” Eve asks, “He won’t just let us get away with interrogating him.”</p><p>“Then if he doesn’t seem interested in joining us Villanelle takes care of him,” Hélène stares right at her as she says it.</p><p>“No,” she shakes her head, <em>no.</em></p><p>“I’ll take care of him,” Eve says with determination, placing her hand over Oksana’s crossed arms.</p><p>“You?” Carolyn questions with a raised brow. The mood in the car turns as all three women look at Eve. Hélène with pure joy, Carolyn with confusion and Oksana, well Oksana is equally touched and conflicted.</p><p>“Hélène will take care of him,” Oksana says, “we are not going to do your dirty work.”</p><p>“This is your dirty work,” Hélène counters.</p><p>“Ladies,” Carolyn interrupts, “This is like removing mildew, not a glamorous job but very necessary, and needs to be done right or it will come back. Eve will not do it; you’ve never killed anyone before.” Carolyn says it straight to Eve.</p><p>“Fine,” Hélène says, “but only for the glory and appreciation and very expensive wine to celebrate.”</p><p><em>Victory. </em>After the battleplan is laid out in full form the two of them get thrown out of the car and told to be back at 4:45 on the dot. There is a threatening tone to the way Carolyn says, “on the dot”. They agree to behave and be back with time to spare.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>They walk a couple of blocks away for a late lunch to fuel up before the meeting, Eve is strolling silently next to her trying to spot somewhere for them to enjoy a meal. Or just somewhere to eat, enjoy would be a bonus. They settle on a tiny terrace of a café and they order out bagels and iced coffees, to fight off the sun.</p><p>“You look so nice today, Eve,” Oksana smiles.</p><p>“You too,” Eve says in between inhaling caffein.</p><p>There is a determined look on Eve’s face, like she’s suiting up for battle.</p><p>“What are you thinking about?” she asks her.</p><p>“How come this has been so easy?”</p><p>“Easy?” Oksana furrows her brows.</p><p>“We decide to come back to take them down because Hélène is being spiteful, we grab Hélène and then just,” Eve’s hands go up, “she’s all in. She’s all in on us taking down her employers, we get Carolyn onto our side with very little convincing.”</p><p>“Eve, are you spinning?”</p><p>“No,” Eve looks annoyed at that, “I’m thinking. Has not all gone to plan?”</p><p>“So far so good, yes.”</p><p>“Too good?” Eve questions.</p><p>“Perhaps,” Oksana considers, “or perhaps Hélène was just tired of being told what to do by men.”</p><p>“Then what?” Eve poses the question like she already knows the answer.</p><p>“Then what what?”</p><p>“Then she takes over?” Eve goes to gather up her hair, “Or she gets promoted further because suddenly there are gaps to fill in the organisation?”</p><p>“Or… they won’t be able to recover and we get to live a more quiet life,” Oksana tries.</p><p>“Or… they come back even stronger,” Eve ties her hair off.</p><p>“Tsk, pessimism comes very naturally to you Eve, doesn’t it?”</p><p>“You don’t think I’m right?” Eve asks with her voice raising a few octaves and she leans forward, “That things have been easy, and that this is probably the first of many steps for us to be rid of them?”</p><p>“Yes I think you’re right, we have to be careful. But I also don’t think things going to plan is a bad thing,” Oksana raises her cup of iced coffee towards Eve’s and clinks them together. Eve chews her lip. Somewhere between Eve’s analysing, greasy avocado bagels, and ice this feels like the last supper. Not in dying but in normalcy.</p><p>They both sit back and close their eyes to the sun as they enjoy the remainder of their drinks, just silence and sunburn. Oksana takes peaks at Eve every now and again watching the few gusts of air move the few pieces of hair that didn’t make it into the bun. Eve is beautiful in the way the moon is to poets, overwhelmingly and completely.</p><p>After successfully killing a few hours enjoying the sun and desserts they stand up to walk back, they still have thirty minutes until their set meeting time so they decide to take the long route back mostly as an excuse for Oksana to walk with her arm around Eve for as long as possible, and to snake her hand up and mess with Eve’s bun.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>Eve takes the front seat from Hélène once they arrive back in the parking garage, Hélène tucks a small gun in the back of her trousers as she stands. Eve puts on the headphones in the front and Oksana crawls into the middle-back and gets headphones herself. As Hélène waltzes away with a wave she slowly sings a French song Oksana recognises but can’t put her finger on, the sound system is in order.</p><p>They listen to Hélène’s feet against pavement until they hear rustling and a bang, her opening the door to the car shop and it slamming behind her. They hear her shuffling around for a bit before things go quiet. Oksana puts her hand on Eve’s shoulder over the car seat.</p><p>“Ah good afternoon,” they hear Hélène say after many beats, and they hear someone else enter the stage.</p><p>“Good afternoon Hélène how are you?” a man’s voice greets her, moving closer to her. Oksana squeezes Eve’s shoulder in excitement.</p><p>“I’m alright, besides the little problem I reported to you,” Hélène follows, not feeling like exchanging pleasantries.</p><p>“Right, Villanelle has been acting up?” the man asks, “Why did you contact me about this?”</p><p>“Thought I could use an unbiased opinion,” Hélène answers, “Villanelle has been refusing work, running around London with her girlfriend instead.”</p><p>“Why don’t you kill the girlfriend then?” the man they know as Wilkinson asks, Eve looks at Oksana in the rear-view mirror.</p><p>“Villanelle would skin me alive if she was touched, I would like to die under less violent circumstances when my time comes.”</p><p>“Do the higher ups know about this issue?” Wilkinson questions, again his voice moves further back, probably wandering about the space. Eve furrows her brow at Carolyn.</p><p>“Of course not, better not to stress them over something the two of us could solve,” Hélène says.</p><p>“My only advice is to remove the girlfriend, I’m not familiar with any other procedure to solve this problem yet,” Wilkinson states.</p><p>In the car both Eve and Oksana now look at Carolyn, Carolyn who does not flinch at the sudden attention.</p><p>“Yet?” Eve whispers as not to overpower the voices in the headphones.</p><p>“Who is this man?” Oksana asks.</p><p>“He is one of the higher ups of the organisation, newly promoted as far as I understand,” Carolyn says matter-of-factly, waving her hand at them, Oksana feels satisfied by the answer.</p><p>“Mr. Wilkinson, how many strikes does Villanelle have against her already?” Hélène pries.</p><p>“From what you’ve reported, more than enough.” Wilkinson moves closer again, his voice coming through stronger, “I thought someone with her history would not be given more chances by you.”</p><p>“I have been able to handle her up until now,” Hélène sounds proud, “I sent one very ambiguous text and got her back from Denmark in two hours.”</p><p> </p><hr/><p><em><br/>Denmark. </em>Carolyn all but pushes them out of the car at the safe word. Oksana is faster and pulls the door open for Eve, who somehow got her arm wrapped in the cord of the headphones. They both rush up from the garage and head towards the car shop, all to plan. Oksana looks over at Eve once before she moves on the door, she can see that Eve is concerned. They have no time for this though, Oksana pushes the door open.</p><p>Mr. Wilkinson is much younger than she imagined, with dark hair and a barely-there beard, he is short and a bit chubby but carries a suit well, his thick brows raise up as he sees them bust in, “What?”</p><p>“Hello, hello,” Oksana says, feeling high off all the excitement, moving up to stand by Hélène. Eve in tow.</p><p>“Ah, Villanelle how lovely to see you again,” Hélène’s eyes twinkle.</p><p>“Hélène, what the hell is happening?” his hand points straight at her.</p><p>“I think you know exactly what is happening,” Hélène is so arrogant, <em>it’s kind of hot.</em></p><p>He shakes his head, “You see Mr. Wilkinson, what is happening is that Hélène is no longer interested in being told what to do by men like yourself,” Oksana explains.</p><p>“We are here to get names,” Eve continues.</p><p>“Names?” is all he gets out.</p><p>“Names.”</p><p>“Hélène?” his voice goes up.</p><p>“Yes?” Hélène now looks six feet tall, towering over him, “I think we could start with you kneeling,” He does, knowing it’s not a suggestion.</p><p>“Why did you come alone?” Eve asks, looking around the space.</p><p>“I just thought it was a normal talk with Hélène, why would I not come alone?”</p><p>“You talk a lot then?” Eve wants to know more.</p><p>“Not the matter right now, Eve” Hélène waves at her.</p><p>“Names,” Oksana says again, leaning down over him and the fear in his eyes is addictive, “who runs the twelve?”</p><p>“How would I know?”</p><p>“Thought the new promotion might have brought some insight with it,” Oksana says, running her fingers over his tie.</p><p>“I’ve been promoted?” Wilkinson looks up at Hélène, “Is this the company policy to congratulate?”</p><p>“Don’t you play coy,” Hélène shuts him down, “we are here for one purpose and if you can fill that purpose you get to walk out.”</p><p>Oksana can see he is trying to connect the dots in his head, calculating his next move. He is very good at acting together, but this close to him Oksana can see how his breathing gets more shallow and he swallows hard.</p><p>“Hélène, all I know about the twelve I know because of you,” he sounds desperate.</p><p>Eve whips towards Hélène at that, “what is going on?” she spits it out at her, “who is this?”</p><p>“My superior, I told you,” Hélène still doesn’t feel threatened by Eve. Oksana looks away from Wilkinson to make sure the two of them don’t jump each other. <em>Now there’s a thought to save for a rainy day, Eve and Hélène going at it. </em>She is confused about Eve’s line of questioning. “My superior that is refusing to play ball.” Hélène motions for Oksana to move away.</p><p>“You told them I’m your superior?” as he says it the door busts open once more, Carolyn is walking in, “Oh come on, how many women do you need to take down one man?”</p><p>“Don’t be disrespectful Mr. Wilkinson,” Carolyn simply says, “I’m here to deescalate the situation, I’ve had extensive training in it.”</p><p>“I’m not the person you think I am,” Mr. Wilkinson says it straight to Oksana and Eve, “please, I can’t give you what you want.”</p><p>“Give me your phone, or phones,” Eve tells him, putting her hand out, Carolyn nods at him. Very slowly he moves his hand underneath his jacket and fishes out a very non-descript black phone and hands it to Eve. “Just one?” Eve asks.</p><p>“I never mix business and pleasure,” he simply says.</p><p>“Which is this?” Oksana smiles at him.</p><p>“Just let me go, I have nothing to offer you,” his tone is pleading now, and this pathetic act is really good, <em>almost believable.</em></p><p>The four women look between each other, Eve nods at Carolyn to let him go. Hélène shakes her head instead, and Oksana is fascinated with all the excellent non-verbal communication going on. She’s also bored, she wants to go home because this is not getting them anywhere.</p><p>“Please,” he says again. Hélène has made her mind up though, and she pulls him to his feet by his jacket.</p><p>“Villanelle, get yourself and Eve out of here now. We’ll talk back at the car,” Carolyn orders.</p><p>“No,” Eve says, she sounds angry, “we are not killing him, either he knows nothing like he says which makes him a non-threat. Or he knows, and we need time to get it out of him.”</p><p>“Eve, we don’t have time,” Carolyn says, looking over at Hélène guiding the man into a side room, “I suggest you go now.”</p><p>Oksana feels conflicted as she puts her arm around Eve and starts manoeuvring them towards the front door. Eve wants to fight her off, she can feel it in the tension in her shoulders. They both know she wouldn’t be able to anyway, and probably wouldn’t want to either if it came down to it.</p><p>They hear a gunshot as they are three steps out of the car shop, Eve doesn’t flinch.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>Back at the car Eve puts both of her arms against it and leans her head on them, Oksana moves to put her hand on Eve’s shoulder again, but Eve shrugs it off. Oksana is still confused but makes no more attempts. They stay like that, Eve hanging on the side and Oksana leaning beside her, until they hear two sets of heals walking towards them.</p><p>Eve pushes herself off the car and her eyes are storms, “What was that?” she half yells at the two women approaching.</p><p>“Eve, in the car,” Carolyn says. Oksana walks around and Carolyn unlocks the car and they sit in the same formation from this morning, with the tensions impossibly high.</p><p>“What. Was. That?” Eve drips with anger now.</p><p>“A very successful meeting in my book,” Hélène says, rubbing her hands together. Oksana can see Eve wanting to strangle Hélène with a seatbelt, so she moves forward to be ready.</p><p>“Not successful according to the plan,” Eve says sarcastically, “remember the plan we made this morning?”</p><p>“Do <em>you </em>remember the plan, Eve?” Hélène just says as Carolyn starts the car, “He was not cooperating, so I took care of him. Or did you want to take care of him? I can’t remember what we agreed.”</p><p>“There is a growing feeling in me that that went exactly as you wanted it to,” Eve says, more quietly this time.</p><p>“I already told you it did,” Hélène responds.</p><p>“Eve, what is the matter?” Carolyn finally speaks, getting onto the road from the garage.</p><p>“The matter is that I do not believe a word that comes out of her mouth right now,” Eve leans back and crosses her arms. Oksana matches.</p><p>“Why are you looking for a conspiracy?” Carolyn questions.</p><p>“Do not suggest to me that that man was who Hélène claimed he was.”</p><p>“That is exactly what I’m suggesting,” Carolyn counters, “I think you need to trust me Eve, that everything is according to plan.”</p><p>“You should give us his phone,” Hélène says, turning in her seat to look at them.</p><p>“No,” Eve says coldly, “the phone stays with me.”</p><p>“Eve give the phone to Hélène,” Carolyn agrees.</p><p>“No. Can<em> I </em>make a suggestion?” Eve asks, “that you stop the car and let me out.”</p><p>“If you give me the phone,” Hélène reaches her hand back, Eve slaps it away.</p><p>“I think you should pull over Carolyn,” Oksana finally breaks her silence, she sees Eve grow more tense by the second and she doesn’t want that. Carolyn doesn’t say anything but does slow the speed and cruises for a while before finding a parking lot to pull over in.</p><p>“We should speak tomorrow,” Carolyn says before she stops fully. Neither of them say anything, Eve is already out of the car and Oksana just gives Carolyn a silent nod in the mirror before jumping out too.</p><p>“What a day, huh?” Oksana tries as they watch Carolyn drive away.</p><p>“Why did you not step in?” Eve asks.</p><p>“Eve,” Oksana throws her hands in the air, “that <em>was </em>the plan.”</p><p>“I’m trained to follow my gut, and my gut told me something was off, and you still didn’t step in to let me investigate my hunch,” Eve is angry at her too.</p><p>“We don’t know the twelve as well as Hélène does,” Oksana tries to explain, she does not have extensive training to deescalating though.</p><p>“No, but I know when something is off,” Eve steps towards her, “do you not think I’m smart enough to read someone?”</p><p>“Of course-” Oksana tries to put her hand out to Eve but again, rejection “-of course you are smart enough.”</p><p>“Why are you defending them without even considering my side?”</p><p>“I’m not defend-“</p><p>“Yes you are, this is the definition of defending someone,” Eve interrupts her.</p><p>“Eve, do you miss your job?”</p><p>“I’m not following a <em>conspiracy</em> because I have withdrawals from MI6, Oksana,” referring back to Carolyn’s comment from earlier. Oksana wishes they were sitting on a sunny terrace in silence, when she still knew exactly what Eve was thinking.</p><p>“I’m calling us a cab home,” Oksana just says.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>Does Eve have a point? The thought won’t leave her mind all night, as they ride back home or walk through the door or as she picks up Eve’s clothes from before. Is Eve right?</p><p>“Eve?” she finds her on the L-sofa looking very tired, “Can you explain to me what happened?”</p><p>Eve sighs at her, “Did he not seem like an honest person to you?”</p><p>“Maybe, I’m not good with honesty. He seemed scared, but maybe that was because we had him surrounded.”</p><p>“Or maybe because he was honest,” Eve says looking out the window, “I don’t think he was who Hélène claimed he was, I think they played us.”</p><p>“Why would they play us?”</p><p>“I don’t know yet,” Eve says, turning to Oksana, “but I’m holding onto his phone until I know.”</p><p>“Eve, do you not think there is a small possibility you went in looking for something to investigate?”</p><p>“Oksana, why can I not be right, why do you trust them so blindly?”</p><p>“I’m not trusting them blindly,” Oksana snaps then.</p><p>“You seem to be, here I’m sitting telling you that something is wrong. Did the dynamic not seem off to you?”</p><p>“Eve, you miss your job.”</p><p>“Do not put this on me missing my job, I’m not insane,” Eve points a finger at her.</p><p>“He had nothing to give us either because he didn’t want to or because he didn’t know,” Oksana responds to Eve’s anger, “did we not say that was the plan if that happened? Or do you think the twelve kills with kindness?”</p><p>“Yes, I knew the plan!” Eve raises her voice more, “that is not what I’m saying here, what I’m saying is there was a separate plan going on that we were not in on.”</p><p>“Why?”</p><p>“Because of the way he acted, and the way Hélène acted,” Eve grows louder yet.</p><p>“Eve, what if he just played us? To put doubt in our team. What if you’re falling into his plan?” The storm is back in Eve’s eyes and Oksana knows she should back for Eve not to burst, but she doesn’t want to.</p><p>“Have we not been played by Carolyn before? In Rome?” Eve asks, going deeper into herself.</p><p>“So you think Carolyn is the one playing us?” Oksana says.</p><p>“I don’t know, but why are you so hesitant to even consider my side?”</p><p>“If it were true we would be fucked.”</p><p>“We’re fucked either way, he was our one lead.”</p><p>“I think there are more leads to follow, I’m sure Hélène knows more people.”</p><p>“If you really think that why are we not questioning her right now?”</p><p>“She is on our team.”</p><p>“No, she’s only ever on her own team. I thought you were on mine, but it seems you really do take inspiration from her.”</p><p>It hurts to have Eve be mad at her, in a way which is dull and full body. Eve sighs once more before she gets up of the sofa and slams her cup on their table. Oksana isn’t sure how they ended up here, Oksana isn’t sure about anything anymore, besides the fact that she needs a long shower and an even longer night’s sleep.</p><p>After her hair is dry she finds Eve curled up as far over on her side of the bed as she can get, the space between them feels infinite but Oksana is done trying to build a bridge over for tonight.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>1. Wow hi, can't let anymone be happy for more than one chapter at a time it seems.</p><p>2. I love writing the dynamic between our four leading ladies tbh. Also rip Mr. Wilkinson, if that's even your real name?</p><p>3. Is Eve right or is she paranoid? Let's discuss.</p><p>4. Final chapter still to come, probably within a week. I've also perhaps drawn up an outline for a "season 2" of this fic, I feel like there is more to add to the story. Let me know if you would like to read more of this or if you think it would stand better alone.</p><p>Thank you so much for coming along for the journey so far, can't believe we're about to wrap soon!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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